She Who the Prophecy Foretold
by Sunset Miko
Summary: No New Chapters Yet - Edited thru Ch 16 - Under Revisions Won Best Romance in Dokuga 1stQ 2008! Sesshoumaru needs the help of a miko, and only one will do. His request for aid sets in motion an ancient prophecy, leading them all on an unexpected quest.
1. A World Away

Chapter 1 – A World Away

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Inuyasha & co. belong to the illustrious Rumiko Takahashi. I do, however, own all my original characters and this plotline.**

**Chapter 1 – A World Away**

A girl with impossibly dark hair and sparkling ocean blue eyes sat at a desk in a classroom, surrounded by other students. While it appeared she was listening intently to the teacher speaking at the front of the class, in reality she was far away. She was so far away in fact that her mind was currently 500 years in the past, along with a half-demon who just never seemed to get it. _'I wish he would just open his eyes! I stop her from killing him and he gets mad at me! I just don't understand.'_

The distracted girl thought back to three days ago, when she awoke to find Kaede's hut missing one important member…..

Flashback

'_I wonder where he went.' _Deciding that she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep without knowing he was safe, she decided to go for a short walk. The miko grabbed her bow and arrows after slowly extracting herself from her sleeping bag without waking the kit sleeping beside her.

Kagome had been walking for only a few minutes when she caught sight of a strange glimmer through the trees. While she gazed at it, entranced, she felt a sharp pain tugging in her chest which was a fairly normal occurrence. Ever since Kikyo was brought to life in a body of clay, bones, and graveyard soil, along with a part of her soul, Kagome had been living with that pain. Missing a part of your soul was excruciating, especially when the missing piece was nearby. The pieces wanted to come together so badly that it felt as if she would be torn apart, but she had learned to live with the day to day pain. It had taken a while, but through meditation with Miroku, she learned to push the pain out of the forefront of her mind into the background noise, thus making it bearable. Miroku was the only one in their group that knew of her suffering. He had immediately sensed the missing piece and the agony the strange girl was going through. She had made him promise not to tell anyone, especially Inuyasha. While the monk agreed he questioned the wisdom of it, but of course, he also understood. She hid **her** pain to protect Inuyasha, to try to shield **him** from **more** pain. She suffered so that he didn't have to.

The tugging continued and immediately Kagome knew that Kikyo was in the direction of the strange glow. Suddenly it clicked in her mind and she took off running. Kikyo was once again trying to drag Inuyasha to hell with her. She pulled her bow from her shoulder while running and notched an arrow without slowing for a second. She released the arrow glowing brightly with her powers and it landed in the ground at the feet of the two embracing figures. Kikyo's eyes flashed with anger at her reincarnation for her constant interference. Inuyasha seemed to suddenly awake from his stupor, never realizing what had been happening to him before Kagome arrived. Upon spotting her, he immediately began to yell at her, calling her a stupid girl and much worse for leaving the safety of Kaede's hut and the protection of the others. He thought she was useless, defenseless, and powerless. Never once did it dawn on him that **she **just saved **his** life.

Of course, their fight ended with Kagome going home like always, until either she calmed down or Inuyasha came to apologize and collect her. This time she'd told the others while gathering her things that she would be back in three days time at sunset.

End Flashback

'_Does he want to die? If he dies now, how will we defeat Naraku? I know we need him. I need him. Even if he can never see me as anything but a poor copy of her, I will always see him for who he is; my best friend, my first love, my fiercest protector, and the first one I laid eyes on when I was pulled through the well.'_

The girl turned her head to gaze out the classroom window, seeing instead a scene that she would never forget….

Flashback

As she wandered the area she became increasingly afraid. She had no idea where she was and nothing looked familiar.

'_I must have hit my head or something,_' fifteen year-old Kagome groaned to herself. She walked on, now feeling her skull under her hair with her hand, checking for blood, bumps, cuts, or anything to explain this situation. She glanced towards the sky and noticed the top of a tall and very familiar tree.

"The God Tree!" she yelled happily to herself. "I can always find my way home from there!" The girl increased her pace until she was almost running before jolting to a stop when she reached the clearing where the God Tree stood proud and tall. It wasn't at all like she remembered it. Instead of seeing the paper talismans that her grandfather hung around the trunk, she saw a strange boy with white hair, dressed all in red, with an arrow stuck in his chest.

Kagome didn't even realize she was moving again until she was standing directly in front of the strange sight. It was like she was drawn in or pulled by a magnetic force. As she looked up at him she noticed something so strange that she had to touch it to believe it. She climbed up on the roots of the tree and reached out her hands to softly touch what appeared to be white furry ears perched on top of the boy's head. She rubbed his ears, all the while examining his face. '_He looks like he's just asleep. I must be imagining things. Maybe I'm dreaming. That must be it.'_

Suddenly the girl heard someone shout from behind her demanding to know what, not who but what, she was and what business she had in Inuyasha's forest. From there her adventure began. She ended up waking that boy who looked so peacefully asleep and releasing him from the spelled arrow that bound him to the tree, the two being together ever since.

End Flashback

With a quick glance at the clock which seemed to have stopped completely, she continued her musing, completely oblivious to the world outside her minds eye.

'_He means so much to me. I know he'll never love me, I get that now, but he will always be my friend and I just can't let her kill him. Not when he has never really had a chance to live and enjoy life. Things have always been so hard for him. Humans hate his demon blood. Demons hate his human blood. He lost both of his parents when he was still just a child.'_

A small tear escaped her eye as she imagined Inuyasha as a little boy, so alone and afraid with nowhere to turn. She quickly wiped it away, glancing around to make sure no one saw. It went by unnoticed since everyone else was actually listening to the teacher, unlike Kagome who really needed to be, considering how much class she missed while scouring the Feudal Era for jewel shards. When she was sure no one had noticed and no more tears would fall she continued on with her thoughts.

'_When he found Kikyo, it's no wonder he grabbed hold of her so tight and still can't let go. She was the first person who didn't hate him on sight but even she despised his demon blood. She wanted to change him and he was so desperate he would have done it too, just to be with her.'_

Kagome was still furious that Kikyo had once convinced Inuyasha to become human for her in hopes that the jewel would disappear. After much thought and a few very interesting dreams, Kagome had come to the conclusion that no wish would make the jewel disappear because no wish could be completely unselfish. She decided that once it was completed she would have to keep it and find some way to protect it. If Inuyasha had wished to become human it would have backfired. Because of Kikyo's selfish desire to be free of the responsibility of the jewel and Inuyasha's desperate need to not be alone, the wish would not have been pure.

'_If only he could see that he has something better now! I would never change him and neither would any of the rest of us. We all think he's perfect just the way he is, even if he is gruff, rude, and rough around the edges. He's family.'_

She pictured their group, an odd combination to be sure, but it worked for them. When they started out it was just Kagome and Inuyasha but they ended up picking up new friends along the way, starting with Shippo, an orphaned kitsune who Kagome loved and now raised as if he were her own. Then they were joined by a lecherous monk named Miroku with a cursed hand, although the other seemed just as cursed at times when it came to rear ends and self-control. Then Sango, a demon slayer, stayed with them after a great deal persuasion since she felt guilty that she'd been tricked into attacking them. She brought with her Kirara, a fire neko and Sango's constant companion and fighting partner. Now that she thought about it, Shippo tricked them to steal the jewel shards at first and Miroku kidnapped her. Inuyasha even tried to kill her when he was first released which ended with him wearing a nice new necklace. Her feudal family came together in interesting ways but she wouldn't change any of them for the world. She was happy to be able to help Inuyasha be accepted by others.

'_Plus he has my family too. Mama adores him, especially his ears. Souta worships him like an idol. Even Gramps has stopped trying to purify him. He needs to see what he has now. It's like he can't see what's right under his nose, even with his 'superior' eye sight. He doesn't need to look anywhere else, especially not his past. Kikyo could never love him like we do. She could never accept him for who he is. She has no right to drag him to hell with her. He doesn't owe her anything. Naraku was the one who deceived them, not Inuyasha! If they had truly trusted each other then they would never have been fooled. If Naraku tried that on us he would fail, I know he would. Inuyasha and I trust each other more than he and Kikyo ever could. I guess it does no good to get all worked up over it though. Hopefully he'll have calmed down when I go back. I think I'll go back right after school instead of waiting until after dinner. It might be fun to surprise him since he is always complaining about how I'm always late! Yeah, that's what I'll do. It'll show him. Hmmmff.'_

Kagome let out a loud sigh which drew the attention of those sitting around her, but only for a second. She was spared the coming inquisition when the bell rang signaling the end of the school day. Relieved, she got up, gathered her things, and left the classroom. She had almost made it to the doors leading out of the school when she heard the voices of her friends.

"Kagome! Kagome, wait up!" Yuka called after her.

"Yeah, Kagome wait for us!" Eri added. Kagome let out another big sigh as she stopped and turned to face them.

"What's the big hurry? We haven't seen you in weeks and then when you came back two days ago we haven't gotten the chance to talk to you! How have you been? Are you feeling better?" Ayumi asked, jogging up to meet her.

Kagome let out yet another sigh. "Yeah guys, I'm fine. I just want to get home is all." Kagome thought for a minute. How was she to get out of there? Then it hit her. "I'm just really…**really**…tired. I think I need to get home and take a nap."

"Oh, okay…" Eri replied, sounding quite dejected. "We just wanted to invite you for a slumber party this weekend."

"Yeah, we thought it would be fun to catch up and have a girl's night." Yuka looked at her with pitiful puppy eyes and Kagome suddenly felt guilty. These were her friends after all, and here she was avoiding them, lying to them. Her life was too complicated!

"I'm sorry guys. That sounds like tons of fun but I really do need to rest. I think I may have overdone it this week. Maybe next time, okay guys?" A collective sigh of disappointment from the three girls was heard before they nodded and sullenly agreed. Kagome gave them a small smile and continued her way out of school.

_'I need to talk to Inuyasha about spending a bit more time at home. I'm barely passing math and science. History is a joke! Really, you would think living in the feudal era would help me pass a class based solely on the feudal era, but no! The textbook is nothing like what life's really like in the past. Ha! If they only knew.' _Kagome's thoughts were suddenly interrupted when she bumped into someone and nearly hit the ground. Before she knew it that someone had a hold of her hands in a very Kouga-like fashion. If she didn't know better she would have thought it **was** Kouga. She looked up to find absolutely the last person she wanted to see on her way home. She was in a hurry, damn it!

Hojo merely smiled at her as he held her hands. "Kagome! It is so nice to bump into you like this!" Kagome gave a half-hearted smile at his weak attempt at humor. "How have you been? Your grandfather said your shingles were very painful. Should you be up and walking about?" Kagome watched as a light blush spread across his cheeks before he quickly released her hands.

Kagome sighed heavily. "Yes, Hojo, I'm alright. I'm just tired. I…"

Hojo cut her off mid-thought. "Oh dear, well then you should be at home in bed. Here, let me carry that for you." Before she could protest Hojo had her book bag over his shoulder and was carefully guiding her along the sidewalk like she would accidently walk right into traffic without his help.

"Really, Hojo, I'm fine! I can carry my own bag."

"Nonsense. Why should you carry it if I am here to do it for you? By the way Kagome…" he paused, rubbing the back of his head with his hand sheepishly. "I was thinking …Maybe you would… I mean, that is, if you're feeling better…maybe you would…um…join me for a movie, maybe this weekend?" he paused to study her, trying to gauge her reaction. "I would understand of course if you don't feel well. Maybe a movie is too much."

"Hojo, I'm sorry but I can't this weekend. I'm feeling awfully tired and I have **so** much work to catch up on. It was sweet of you to ask though." By then they had reached the foot of the stairs leading up to the shrine and Kagome decided to cut her losses and bolt. She grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder before starting up the steps. As an afterthought she called back to the surprised teen who was simply watching her escape. "I have to be going now! See you some other time! Bye, Hojo!"

She continued her way up the stairs, as Hojo simply looked on. "Hmm. She really shouldn't be running like that in her condition," he muttered to himself before he turned and walked away.

Once Kagome made it into the house she dropped her bag and stood bent over, her hands resting on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. There were altogether too many stairs!


	2. Expected and Especially Unexpected

Chapter 2 – Expected and Especially Unexpected

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Inuyasha & co. belong to the illustrious Rumiko Takahashi. I do, however, own all my original characters and this plotline.**

**Chapter 2 – Expected and Especially Unexpected**

After a quick rest just to catch her breath, a very quick shower, well, quick for Kagome anyway, and a few minutes spent gathering all her supplies into her monstrous yellow backpack, she was ready to go. She would still be arriving hours early despite the repeated delays, hoping to surprise Inuyasha and prove to him that she wasn't always late. While running down the stairs and out the door she called out a quick good-bye to her family, not bothering to wait for a reply.

She had almost made it to the well house when she heard her Grandfather call out her name. For a moment, she contemplated pretending not to hear but just couldn't do it. She heaved a sigh and turned around. "Kagome dear, there you are. I was wondering if you could help an old man for just a few minutes. I need some boxes of trinkets brought up to the gift shop from the shed."

"Sure gramps." Kagome dropped her bag outside the well house and followed after her grandfather, shoulders slumped in defeat. If this continued she would end up being late anyway! When they reached the shed she stood and watched as he looked through boxes.

"Kagome, did I ever tell you the story of the youkai princess, Misaki?" He didn't bother to wait for an answer, instead just launching into his tale. "Well, there was once a beautiful youkai princess whose father was a powerful lord. She had hair of the finest silk, eyes that shone like stars in the darkest skies, and she was quite shapely as well." Her grandfather shot her a quick grin but found she wasn't looking. "Kagome? Kagome are you listening?" His granddaughter nodded her head as she accepted the box being handed to her and set it near the door. He returned to his task of searching the boxes and continued on with the story. "Well now, she came of age during a time of war and great strife…"

Kagome was in her own little world. _'I wonder if I packed enough ramen. I can't wait to give Shippo the new crayons and coloring books I got him! He's gonna love them! Hopefully he won't leave them out to get eaten by a stupid demon this time. Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi seemed so sad that I couldn't come. I wish I had more time to spend with them.'_

"…as his mate." Grandfather handed Kagome another box, frowning when he noticed the girl seemed to be off in her own world. Why did he even bother? Really, she should be listening intently! This was very important! "Her father accepted…"

'_A girl's night really does sound like fun. That's it. I'm going to find time whether Inuyasha likes it or not! At least they weren't around when I ran into Hojo. I can't believe he's still asking me out after two years of me turning him down! He's either incredibly persistent or incredibly dense. I wish there was some way to get him to move on. I don't think I will ever be interested in him. He's just…just too…I don't know, too goody-goody I guess. Not my kind of guy.'_

"…ceremony and signing of the alliance between the two lands." He located another box and handed it to his granddaughter. Kagome glanced at him, telltale blankness in her eyes. She hated it when her grandfather went on and on with his ancient stories. It's not like they meant anything to her or anything! Nevertheless, her grandfather persisted as he grabbed a few boxes himself and motioned for her to follow with the others. As they walked he talked. "The night before the ceremony Misaki had a dream."

'_No, my kind of guy is strong and tough, definitely not Hojo. Hojo is sweet but wimpy compared to Inuyasha. Oh my Kami! Did I just compare Inuyasha to Hojo? Yeah, like Inuyasha would be my dream guy! No matter how much I love the guy he is certainly lacking in some very important areas like, oh I don't know… manners! My guy would be polite. He wouldn't yell and scream at me or call me wench and any other creative names. He would be more mature, that's for sure. Oh, and most importantly? He wouldn't be obsessed with a reanimated corpse! That's pretty much all she is! I wish he could just move on. I guess I need to since he never will.'_

"…would tip the scales in the final battle." They had reached the shop now and they both set down their boxes and started to put up the merchandise. "When the princess woke she found that she no longer…"

While she put away the items she continued to allow her mind to wander, completely ignoring the story being told. _'I'm gonna be alone forever! How can I meet a guy? I'm here for a few days every few weeks. No time to date, especially no way to keep a boyfriend. And there, besides the fact that Inuyasha acts like a dog protecting his favorite chew toy when anyone shows any interest in me, like with Kouga, what would be the point? I can't stay there. Why start something I can't finish? Once this is all over I'll probably have to come home, not that my life isn't already royally screwed here. Why can't I stay there? Maybe I could stay there, if the well lets me. I like it there. And I couldn't stand to leave Shippo.' _Kagome finished emptying her boxes and shelving the trinkets.

"…the item in a sealed box and…" Kagome cut him off. "All done, Gramps. Sorry, can't stay! I have to get back before Inuyasha throws a fit! Love ya!"

Before he had time to protest she was gone. "Darn girl! No patience and no respect for her elders."

Just then his daughter, Kagome's mother, Hiromi entered the shop, having witnessed Kagome's quick exit. "So father, did you tell her the story?"

"I tried but you know how she is! She thinks my stories are silly and refuses to listen to them. I was just getting to the important part too! Well, just you wait! She'll be back begging me to tell her the story again!"

Hiromi merely nodded her agreement. "Come on now father. Let's go have some tea. You and I both know Kagome will listen when the time is right."

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Kagome had run for her life, or at least to end the torturous boredom of her grandfather's stories and escape her confusing thoughts. Why worry about something that you couldn't control? She might not have a choice. The well could close and seal her on one side or the other, taking the whole thing out of her hands. Once the jewel was whole who knows what would happen. Now she was in the well house, looking down at the object of her thoughts and into the dark recesses of her portal through time. The view always creeped her out a little. It was just so dark and if something was down there waiting she would never know. She sucked it up, stepped onto the ledge, and hopped into the darkness.

She felt the magic flow around her as a blue light seemed to cradle her body, carrying her safely back to the past. She likened the feeling to slowly sinking to the bottom in the deep end of the pool. When the familiar magic receded Kagome found herself standing on the dirt bottom of the well. She looked up and saw a soft, clear blue sky with a few puffy, pure white clouds floating by. She took a moment to appreciate the sight before grabbing hold of the long, thick vines that lined the well walls and served as her ladder to extract herself from the depths when she was without the convenience of a half-demon to lift her out.

It took some struggling, but then it always did when her pack was fully loaded. For a moment she regretted coming early, if only because Inuyasha wasn't there to help her with her heavy bag. After all, it was only fair. At least half the space was filled with ramen just for his ungrateful ass. Kagome grinned at that thought. She loved watching him gorge himself on the instant noodles. It was one of the few times when he looked truly happy so she really didn't mind bringing them, even if he never said thank you.

Once she managed to get out of the well she sat on the edge for a minute to catch her breath before struggling to stand and continue on her trip to the village. She was about halfway there when she froze, feeling a powerful demonic aura approaching. She didn't sense any shards which was almost a relief except that the aura was so strong she was sure that the demon wouldn't need the help of the shards to kill her if it wanted to. Subconsciously she wrapped her hand around the small bottle of jewel shards which contained a whole whopping three. Suddenly she realized that she had left her bow and arrows in Kaede's hut, having put them down to gather her things to return home after her fight with Inuyasha. She was too far from the village to make it to safety but also too far from the well to make a run for it to escape. She cursed her own stupidity quietly as she reached out with her powers to sense more about the approaching aura. It felt familiar but before she had time to realize who it was the demon revealed himself to her.

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He really didn't want to be doing this. He hated needing assistance from anyone. He never should need the help of others, but this circumstance was extraordinarily humbling being as he not only needed help but he needed the help of a human woman, a miko no less. No demon should ever need the help of a miko and they would never seek it anyway knowing that all miko would rather kill any demon than look at it. But this miko was different, he knew. This miko cared for demons and humans alike and even somehow tolerated his hanyou brother. Yes, the Great Lord Sesshoumaru was in need of the help of his brother's wench, a girl who he had tried and failed to kill multiple times.

The enigma of the odd miko did not escape him. He had been curious about her ever since she pulled his father's sword when neither he nor the hanyou could. Then she went on to survive his poison when she should have melted into a puddle of fresh steaming miko soup. It had frustrated him enough to allow himself to be distracted, thus costing him his left arm. He wanted to believe his half-brother got lucky but the truth was he got careless. As if that wasn't bad enough, he had to live with the constant reminder of his carelessness represented by his empty sleeve.

No, he really wished he wasn't here, wished that he could be anywhere else, but it was unavoidable. He needed help only this miko could or would give. He had heard of and even witnessed her amazing powers of forgiveness and he only hoped she would overlook his past attempts on her life to help him. The lives of those the most important to him depended on it.

He was traveling quickly towards the village he knew the group stayed at when resting from their journey and he hoped beyond hope that they were there. He was desperate, as impossible as that sounded. He had to find the girl and fast. He didn't have the luxury of time to search all of Japan to find them. Suddenly his nose caught scent of her. He sniffed deeply, drawing the enticing scent deep into himself, savoring it for a moment before he realized what he was doing. He could tell that she was alone. Maybe this wouldn't be so difficult. He couldn't imagine having to ask for her assistance in the presence of the half-breed. As always, the simpleton would jump at the chance to start a fight with him and would be sure to keep him from her at all costs. The hanyou was incredibly protective of the girl.

He drew in her scent again and turned slightly to head towards her location instead of the village. Her scent was that of strawberries in fresh cream, a treat he shared with his mother often before her death, one of his few memories of her. Buried within that sweet comforting scent was the smell of power and purity. Her scent had always enticed him, drawn his attention no matter how hard he fought it. He found himself following his brother's group unconsciously just to smell her. He would confront the half-breed just to lay eyes her. And now here he was, despite all his attempts at avoiding her, landing directly in her path.

He had detected the scent of her fear, a change in her scent that he had to admit he disliked even if he didn't know or refused to admit why, as he had approached but as she saw him the scent of her fear receded and she visibly relaxed. '_Apparently this girl is under the impression that there are others more worthy of fear than this Sesshoumaru._' He ached to teach her the folly of her assumptions, mostly out of habit as well as a bit of self-denial, but he needed her so he couldn't kill her for her insolence just yet.

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Shippo sighed again loudly. He was impatient. He wanted his Mama to be back **now**. Miroku and Sango had repeatedly assured him that Kagome would return soon as promised but he couldn't help missing her. It was just so hard to sleep without her. Her scent soothed him, her proximity made him feel safe. Once again the kit contemplated just how lucky he was to have met Kagome. He still regretted tricking her to steal her shards and getting her mixed up with the Thunder Brothers but if he hadn't then he wouldn't have the second chance at a family that he had now. He thought about just how special his new Mama really was. Humans would never take in an orphaned demon. Other demons wouldn't even take in an orphan, even if they were the same kind. Mikos would kill even defenseless demons on sight. And yet here he was, loved and cared for by an amazing miko from the future. He didn't think he could get any luckier if he tried.

Still though, he held a tiny bit of fear that he kept hidden from everyone. What would happen when the jewel was restored and the battle was over and done with? Would she leave him? It was mostly due to this fear that he had yet to ask if he could call her Mama. Oh, he called her his Mama in his mind every chance he got but he was too afraid to ask her, partly for fear of what she might say and partly because of the jealous hanyou that got angry enough at the kit just for finding his scent on the girl. How would he react if she were to become his mother officially? That was his true dream, for her to adopt him formally so that all youkai would know that he was hers and she was his. He smiled for a moment, imagining how it would be if she did adopt him, how they would be a real family, making one very happy kit and making Kagome an even bigger oddity of a miko, mother to a youkai.

Another Miko who didn't quite fit the mold was busying herself with herbs she had collected earlier, tying bunches to dry and adding others to jars. While reaching for another jar a little further back on the shelf her fingers brushed silk. She smiled for a moment, thinking of the silk wrapped package that had been sitting on her shelf for nearly forty years, left with her by a demon, a gift for someone who had not yet come. Soon it would be time. The package, although dusty, was still perfect in the same condition it had been in when given over to her for safe keeping. Kaede was sure the time close. She was drawn from her thoughts when she felt the moment Kagome came through the well, able to feel her aura of purity, her great untapped powers just under the surface. Kaede felt when the familiar demon aura, cloaked enough that none of her companions could detect it but not enough to escape her senses, approached the time-traveling girl. A small smile grew slowly across her face. Yes, the time would be coming soon.

Sango was sitting by the fire in the hut polishing her giant boomerang when she heard the kit sigh once again. She knew just how he felt. She missed Kagome as well. Every time she went home, even though it was only for a few days, she feared that her friend that she loved as a sister would not return. She knew better really but the fear was still there. She was the last of her family and her entire village besides her brother Kohaku who was basically the walking dead, a zombie controlled by Naraku.

She would never in her wildest dreams have pictured herself where she was now with a new, albeit odd family. Kagome was a sister to her, Shippo then like a nephew. She knew the kit secretly thought of Kagome as his mother just as she knew Kagome considered herself a mother-figure to the kit as well. Inuyasha, despite his attitude, was a beloved brother, and then there was the monk. The lecherous monk who couldn't keep his hands to himself, who flirted with every girl he laid eyes on and asked them all to bear his child, and who drove her absolutely crazy at times; the man she loved more than anything. She accepted his flaws and even found some of them slightly charming, but there was always fear when it came to Miroku. The wind tunnel in his hand could suck him in at any time, ending his life without warning. She didn't know what she would do without him and hoped she would never have to find out.

Miroku sat meditating off to one side of the hut. Every now and then he would peek open an eye to sneak a look at his beloved Sango. Each time he laid eyes on her his determination to defeat Naraku grew. He didn't want to ever have to leave her and as long as he held the curse of the wind tunnel he would fear hurting his dearest demon slayer with his demise. He no longer fought for himself but for his dream for it all to end so that they could finally marry and start working on all the children he wanted. A lecherous smirk crept onto his face as he imagined how he would get each and every child with his Sango. He peeked at her again and saw her turn towards him, immediately wiping the smirk from his face and pretending to concentrate once again. It was just so hard to focus on anything but her when she was near. He didn't want to waste a second that could be used to take in her beauty.

Inuyasha was nowhere to be found. They hadn't seen him since shortly after Kagome had left. They were all afraid he had returned to Kikyo as they had all heard of her most recent attempt while Kagome gathered her things. He was an important part of their group and they didn't want to lose him but nothing seemed to get through to him about his dead love. He wouldn't truly be safe until she was returned to her grave but she seemed to evade death expertly this time around. Even Kaede had tried to convince the hanyou that the creature with her sister's face was not in fact her sister but a poor imitation filled with nothing but hate. She had asked that Inuyasha return her to a peaceful rest but he'd lashed out, accusing her of abandoning her own blood. He would never be able to kill Kikyo. Instead, Kikyo would end up killing him and he was stupid enough to let her.

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When she realized who it was Kagome immediately calmed but she remained on guard. She had never truly feared Sesshoumaru even though he had tried to kill her a few times. After the first time she always had the feeling his attempts on her life were half-hearted anyway. She looked into his eyes, searching for why he was there, her confusion apparent.

He watched as she eyed him. He knew she wanted to know what it was he was there for but it was fun to make her worry for a moment or two. _'Did this Sesshoumaru just think that interaction with the miko was fun? I must be losing it because of the stress.'_

They stood, silently examining each others' eyes for another full minute before Kagome forced her eyes from his. It was a very hard thing to do. His eyes were hypnotizing, like staring into a deep pool of melted gold that was constantly swirling and shifting.

"Hello Sesshoumaru. Is there something you need?" Kagome questioned, purposely leaving the honorific off of his name. She just couldn't bring herself to call him Lord Sesshoumaru or Sesshoumaru-sama. She kept her eyes averted, afraid she'd once again fall under the spell of the golden pools.

"Hn. Miko, I have come to collect you. I have need of your services." He was unhappy at her disrespect but now was not the time to educate the girl.

Kagome's head snapped up, their eyes meeting once again. "Ser..services? Huh?" She seemed to have lost the ability to form thoughts, let alone full sentences.

"Yes miko. I find myself in an unusual situation in which I must request that you accompany me to my residence."

"Huh?" she mumbled once again.

"Miko, this Sesshoumaru despises repeating himself. Pay attention so that I do not have to. My pups have been placed under a curse, apparently perpetrated by a dark miko, probably one serving Naraku. My healers have determined that only a pure miko can break the curse and save them, although they assured me that I would not find one willing to assist a demon, let alone willing to save the lives of demons. Because of the kit you care for, as well as your loyalty to the half-breed, I came to the conclusion that you do not follow the same beliefs as all other miko and may be willing to assist me."

Finally Kagome seemed to snap out of her stupor and was able to respond in a full and clear thought. "You need my help because your pups have been cursed? Let me get this straight. You are here **asking** me to help you? No demands, no threats, just **asking**?"

"Miko, you frustrate this Sesshoumaru to no end. I am indeed asking for your assistance. Without you my pups are guaranteed death. As much as I despise the situation, I have no other choice."

"When did you have pups anyway? I didn't even know you had a mate. No, wait, never mind. That isn't important right now. I really don't know how much I can do for them. I'm not fully trained, barely trained is more like it, but I will do my best to help, with a few conditions though." Kagome watched him carefully as she spoke. Really, she didn't know how much she could do being as she didn't have the training, experience, control, or amount of power most miko would have but he was right about one thing. No other miko would choose to save the life of a demon, a fact which saddened her.

"State your conditions." Sesshoumaru was relieved that she agreed to help, even though he would never show it. He was not so worried about her abilities. He could feel the power coursing through her and knew that for miko using their powers, although somewhat dependent on training, was also highly instinctive and instinct was something he as a dog demon trusted implicitly. He also had a large library of texts of miko, both dark and pure so if research was needed it could easily be done. Now he only had to worry on her conditions. What would this human ask of him in exchange for something as priceless as the lives of his pups?

Kagome only requested a few things. One: he would not cause her harm if she was unable to help. When stating this she once again mentioned her lack of training but also promised to do everything she could. Two: if she was able to help them, the use of her power may make her weak and she requested his protection until she regained her full strength. Three: that he would return her safely to the village upon her recovery. And four: that he would answer all her questions. She justified this final request by saying that any small detail may assist her in helping the pups, which was true, but it was also true that she was very curious about this demon she had encountered many times but had little knowledge of. He had always been a bit of a mystery to her, one she had thought about several times and now she might have a chance to solve it, or at least shed a little light on the inner workings of the taiyoukai.

When she finished stating her requests she was surprised when he agreed without question. '_I guess he really must be desperate to save them. I never figured he would give in without any difficulty.' _She had expected haggling, if just because of the obvious stubbornness of the demon lord before her.

Upon hearing her response he was surprised. He had expected her to demand a great amount of his wealth or maybe his word on the safety of his half-brother. Humans were known to be greedy, that he knew for sure. What she requested instead was unexpected. Once again he had greatly underestimated the miko.


	3. In Flight Conversation and Contemplation

Chapter 3 – In Flight Conversation and Contemplation

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Inuyasha & co. belong to the illustrious Rumiko Takahashi. I do, however, own all my original characters and this plotline.**

**Chapter 3 – In Flight Conversation and Contemplation**

Kagome stood frozen, her eyes wide, unsure of how to react. Sesshoumaru had just held his hand out to her, waiting for her to take it. When she didn't respond or move at all he became frustrated and stalked to her quickly, wrapping his only arm around her waist, and took to the skies. **Now** Kagome was afraid. He could smell the overwhelming fear covering her sweet scent. The scent of her fear riled his beast, the beast demanding they put an end to it. He was confused as to why she was frightened as well as why it mattered so much to his beast. She had never been afraid of him before, no matter the situation, so why now, and more importantly why did he care?

Kagome didn't know what to do. Here she was in Sesshoumaru's arm, held close to his body, which if she had taken the time to think about it was kind of nice, but she could focus on nothing but the fact that they were floating way, way, **way** too high off the ground, on a cloud of all things! Not only that but they were moving fast, much faster than she had ever gone on Inuyasha's back. _'Inuyasha…' _For a moment Kagome thought of her hanyou. He would be worried when she didn't arrive. She didn't want to tell them because she knew they would all be against it and Inuyasha would never have let her go. She felt bad about it but there wasn't much choice. Besides, Sesshoumaru had swept her up so quickly she barely had time to get a tighter grip on her bag before she dropped it.

Sesshoumaru was almost relieved when the scent of fear lessened as his beast stopped fighting his control but then it was then replaced with the scent of her sadness. He felt tightness in his chest, a tugging at his heart, but he didn't know what it was or what it meant and he refused to contemplate it further. All he knew was he wanted… no needed her to stop smelling sad and afraid. He had to do something but he didn't know what. Not knowing how to handle a situation was something Sesshoumaru was not fond of. After a few moments of hectic thought in his head, he decided to distract her.

"Miko, now would be a good time to ask your questions. It will take over an hour to reach this Sesshoumaru's home."

Kagome was dragged from her thoughts by his deep, smooth voice. She could actually feel him speak, the vibrations passing from his chest to her back and his warm breath caressing her ear and the side of her neck. She was certainly distracted but not in the way he had intended. When she failed to ask a question he started without her. It seemed he needed a distraction as well before she was made aware of just how he felt about her proximity. He despised the reaction of his traitorous body to her scent and the heat he could feel radiating from her small form through to his much larger one. She was nothing but a filthy human but it seemed that he had no control over the affect she had on him or his beast, which was once again pulling at its chains and demanding things of him that he absolutely refused to give, no matter how much he might secretly want them too.

"Miko, pay attention. I will not repeat myself." He tried to sound calm, hard, and controlled, his usual stoic façade, but his voice did not quite obey. Instead his voice was deep, soft, and warm. He felt her shift slightly and tilt her head to show she was listening. Refusing to think of how it felt to have her shift her body against his or how she had presented him with the full expanse of her neck in a wonderfully submissive action, he launched into his story. "This Sesshoumaru was patrolling my lands when a messenger found me, requesting I return home immediately. It seems that **I** had arrived home yesterday and immediately went to check on the well-being of my pups. I closed the door behind me and moments later the servants heard the pups begin to scream and cry. They attempted to gain access to the room but there was a barrier on the door. They tried the balcony doors as well but the barrier was strong and they could not cross it or break it. All they could do was listen to the cries of their charges, my sons.

"After the sounds ceased, they found the barrier was gone. When they entered the room, all signs of who they'd thought to be this Sesshoumaru were gone, the balcony doors were open, and the pups were all unconscious. They quickly deduced that who they saw was indeed not I but an imposter. They sent word to this Sesshoumaru immediately. Both the body double and the barrier lead me to believe Naraku was behind it. My healers immediately tried to wake the pups but all their efforts failed. They have determined that the pups have been cursed by a dark miko by their current state." He paused, waiting to see if the girl had any questions.

Kagome was torn. She felt awful for what had happened to his pups but she was also enthralled by his voice. She had never heard him speak so much at once and it was an experience she would love to have repeated over and over again. She had to fight to keep listening to him. It would be way too embarrassing if she had to ask him to repeat himself because she had been distracted by his sexy voice. Yes, she was definitely intent on paying attention to what he was actually saying no matter how hard it was.

With that determined, Kagome decided to ask a question. "What exactly has happened with the pups, besides being unconscious, that makes your healers think that they're cursed?"

"They cannot maintain one form. They switch constantly between their humanoid and their true forms. Their demonic energy is diminishing, as if they are being drained. The healers can find no other cause for their state. Some can sense the presence of the curse of a dark miko, those with greater age and experience. No course of action has affected them. The curse is strong and thus can only be countered by a pure miko. This is why I sought you out." He hated admitting his need because it proved his weakness. He was disgusted with himself for his failure to protect his young. If they survived, changes would be made to ensure their continued safety. He had always thought his palace to be secure. His assumption had landed him in the position to be at the mercy of a human female. At least it was a human female for which he had a small amount of respect, the only one so far to have earned such an honor.

"I'm so sorry Sesshoumaru! That sounds awful to not be able to help your own pups." She missed his uncontrollable but quick grimace at the blatant truth of her statement. She saw him as weak. He had expected it but he had not expected how the knowledge made him feel. He was not supposed to feel at all, let alone feel things because of a human! "I am glad you thought to come to me. I will try my hardest to bring them back to you. How many pups are there?"

Sesshoumaru let a small smirk spread slowly across his face since she couldn't see him anyway, pushing his previous thoughts out of his mind forcefully. He knew the miko's reaction to his answer would be an entertaining one. "Seven," he said slowly.

"Holy shi…I mean, damn, I mean, sorry, wow. Seven? I didn't even know you had a mate, let alone seven pups!" His smirk spread and he had to hold down a chuckle. He was not disappointed by her response.

"This Sesshoumaru has not taken a mate. I was merely in need of an heir. Thus I selected three bitches of good breeding to carry my pups. Once they were born, the mothers delivered them to me and were dismissed." He had not thought of how the miko would respond to that knowledge but the way she responded was definitely not it. Why did it matter what she thought anyway?

Kagome gasped at his callousness. "They just left their children, I mean pups? How could they?"

He found himself trying to explain the situation in a way that didn't make him seem cold and uncaring, but he soon found that there was no way to do so, at least not in the loving eyes of Kagome. "It is the youkai way, at least among the upper class. If one does not desire to take a mate heirs can be obtained easily and without extensive difficulty. High class bitches have no concern for their pups, no desire to rear them. Even if they were mated the pups would be raised by nurses. Inu of good quality are limited and I did not find any of them worthy of becoming the mate of this Sesshoumaru. They served their purpose. I do not wish to have to repeat the process. The bitches were insufferable while pupped." _'And no female would wish to mate this Sesshoumaru, at least not one who is not after my wealth and power.'_

Kagome was speechless for a while. "That's…that's just so…cold. So your pups have no mother? Just nurses?"

Once again Sesshoumaru wished that he had thought his words through before speaking. What was it about this female? Sesshoumaru had never need to second guess himself before, so why now? "Nurses are sufficient. Women coddling them would only make them soft. They are the heirs of this Sesshoumaru and thus must be strong and powerful."

A small tear slid down her cheek at his words. His pups would never know the love of a mother. Everyone needs a mother. She didn't know what she would do without hers. Another tear joined the first. She thought then of her kit, her Shippo. Instantly she was sobbing violently, tears streaming down her face.

Sesshoumaru was stiff as a statue behind her. He had not meant to make her cry. He didn't expect her to care, let alone shed tears. He was trying to make the explanation as simple as possible. He hadn't wanted to upset the girl. He had left out quite a few things; the knowledge of which he was now sure would have upset her further. She did not need to know that the bitches would have killed their pups had he not removed them, just to be rid of them. She did not need to know that inu bitches had lost all mothering instincts centuries ago as they became selfish, lustful, greedy creatures. She did not need to know that he managed to grow up without a mother so he knew they would survive. His mother, before she died, was a rarity. Mated to his father to cement an alliance, expected to deliver an heir, she chose to love the child despite his father's indifference. He remembered, just barely, how it felt to be loved.

Once she died he had never experienced such a thing again. His father was cold and impersonal. It was obvious he held no affections for his own son, merely expected him to follow orders, learn his lessons, and be the perfect heir. No, there was no love between him and his father. It was merely business. He would prefer his pups had a mother so that they could experience the love he had felt, if only for a short time, but none would do. None were good enough and he didn't have the luxury of unlimited time to search. He needed an heir to take his place should he be killed so that the lands his family had ruled for century after century would not fall, so he had followed his father's example and handled the need of heirs in a business-like manner as well. Feelings need not be involved.

He hated the scent of her sadness, the salty tang of her tears. He hated even more the knowledge that she cried because of him, because of his cold demeanor, the mask he held up for the world to see. He didn't know what to do, how to soothe her, but he wanted it to stop. Thinking back, he remembered a time when he had fallen during training and been injured. His father had been disgusted by his tears. He was expected to act as his heir should despite his age, only a mere two human years at the time though he appeared around six years old, and crying certainly wasn't it. His mother though had held him close to her, leaning his head on her chest and softly ran her hands down his back, her touch easing the pain in his body and mind. She had told him then that tears were not bad, that no matter what his father had said, sometimes tears were necessary and that feeling things was not wrong.

After her death though, his father had been quick to drill his opinion on the matter into him. No tears, **ever**. Feelings were unnecessary; they were a waste of time and only showed weakness. His father had trained him, punishing him until he learned how to hold his stoic, unfeeling mask at all times. Pushing the memories to the back of his mind he did the only thing he knew how to do. He turned her slowly in his arm, resting his hand on her back, rubbing soothingly, carefully imitating the motions of his mother. Kagome placed her face on his unarmored shoulder, buried deep within the soft fur of his mokomoko that which, upon feeling her pressed into it, curled around her waist gently. She jumped, startled for a moment before relaxing into the hold. She was too upset to worry about how his 'boa-thingie' moved on its own. She would ask later.

"Do not cry miko. My pups are well cared for and will grow up strong." He was unsure of what to say to make her feel better, to stop the tears. If it hadn't been for the howling of his beast and the strange tugging at his heart he would have ignored the girl and her tears, but either or both kept his voice as soft and as soothing as he could muster. No one would have believed it. Sesshoumaru, killing perfection, the aristocratic assassin attempting to soothe the sadness of a human woman, a miko! If anyone had seen it he would surely have had to kill them simply to maintain his reputation.

"I… I… know you…will ensure they are… cared for. But I still (sniffle) think that everyone needs… a mother. I couldn't have made it this far (sniffle) without mine." Sesshoumaru acknowledged her statement with a nod but did not know how to respond so he stayed silent, still running his hand softly up and down the curve of her back. 

He really didn't know if he agreed with her or not. He hadn't thought of the comfort and love his mother had given him in years, repressing the memories until he was almost convinced that they had never occurred in the first place. He had spent every moment since her death trying to gain his father's approval and sitting around moping over the loss certainly wouldn't do it, not that anything else did either. He never measured up to the standards he was held to. His father never found any good in him, never gave his approval or his time, and most definitely not his love. No, only Izayoi and Inuyasha ever were good enough for his father's love. Somehow Inuyasha was not measured on the same scale as he was. Somehow Inuyasha made his father proud and deserved the love he himself craved so much. As his mind swirled with thoughts he felt were better off lost forever he held the girl that brought them all up again close to himself, almost as if he were afraid to lose her. Maybe he was. Slowly her sobs quieted, her tears slowed, and she calmed in his hold. The remainder of their flight was silent, but it was not uncomfortable.

As they approached his palace he softly turned her and directed her to look. She let out a soft gasp and a whisper he barely caught about the beauty. He felt an unexpected rush of pride that the miko approved of his home. Once he dug himself out of his pit of self pity that he'd thought had been completely obliterated long ago he contemplated why he was bothered that the girl seemed disappointed in the circumstances of his fatherhood. But who could be expected to mate a demon such as himself? All females were frightened of him, every single one he had ever been in the presence except for two, the one he held in his arm now and the little one he protected as his own. The only females besides the afore mentioned two who could force down their fear enough to be in anywhere near him were only doing so to gain his wealth and power and he detested them for it. He did not want a woman who had to fight her fear in his presence. While he in general enjoyed the smell of fear, it was not a scent one wanted from your mate. His mate should at the very least be comfortable with him.

He refused to mate for political reasons. He would not be like his father and mate a female and then ignore her and betray her with anyone that happened to be convenient. Sesshoumaru found the idea dishonorable. His mother had suffered enough with his father's indifference to her and he had been present to witness every moment, every insult, every bit of loneliness, and every single tear. He refused to repeat it. Inus mated for life, or were supposed to, and he intended to do so as well. If he did ever choose a mate he would remain faithful to her as was right, proper, and honorable, but he doubted it would ever happen. He didn't believe in love anyway so his choice seemed the only solution to his need for heirs and it was successful. He now had his heirs. That was all that mattered, right?


	4. Disturbing Vision

Chapter 4 – Disturbing Vision

**Chapter 4 – Disturbing Vision**

They landed in one of the many courtyards outside his palace and Kagome's eyes widened. She took a moment to take in the grandeur before turning to look at the demon lord. "Take me to the pups, please. Now is not the time to be admiring your architecture."

While he was slightly confused by her vocabulary, he did agree that time was of the essence, and moved to lead her through the large front doors, up a grand staircase, down a few halls, and finally into the room where his pups had been attacked and where they remained, still unconscious. Before he could make it as far as the outer doors however, he was assaulted by a short, green annoyingly toad-like lump, pressing his little beak into the ground at his Lord's feet.

"Lord Sesshoumaru! Oh, Lord Sesshoumaru, thank kami you have returned! These worthless wretches who dare to call themselves your servants have been spreading vicious lies, my lord." Jaken narrowed his eyes as much as possible to show his displeasure, but in reality, it just made him look even stranger.

"Really, Jaken? And what is it exactly that they have been saying?" Sesshoumaru looked just about as patient as he was feeling at the moment. He had the miko, they were at the palace, and yet his way was being blocked by the most annoying vassal he had ever experienced. For a moment he could not remember why he kept the kappa around at all, but then it came to him. The little toad flew quite far when kicked and that was always a stress reliever.

"My Lord, they have dared to say that you, the Great Lord, had gone to request the help of a human wench! My Lord, I can point them out for you if you so desire, or maybe you would like to punish the whole lot of them?" Apparently, Jaken had a problem seeing properly with his eyes so narrowed because he obviously failed to see the warning look on his Lord's face and the very human woman now standing at his side, looking as if she wanted to try a round of 'Kick Jaken' herself.

"Hn. Did they now? And tell me, why should they be punished for such?"

"My Lord! They dare say that so great a demon such as you, my lord, would stoop so low as to ask a human for anything! It is downright criminal, what they say."

"Jaken, would it be possible for you to make a fool of yourself somewhere not in my path?" Quiet chuckles could be heard from a few servants who had come to watch the show and Kagome was trying her hardest to hold in her laughter, though her violently shaking shoulders gave it away.

Jaken looked up at Sesshoumaru in shock and it was then he noticed her. "My Lord! Your brother's wench? Why, my Lord, would you bring such human filth here?" That apparently was beyond the invisible line of just how much he could take at the moment. He was quite proud of himself really for restraining himself for so long. In seconds, there was a wailing whiz of green flying through the open doors of the palace and down a long hall before a sound that very much resembled a splat could be heard, along with a groan of pain. The gathered servants cleared a path, not wanting to be removed in the way that had just been demonstrated, all standing to the side as their lord led in the most unlikely of guests.

As they passed through the halls, he could hear the gasps of surprise and the whispers of his staff. Apparently they did not think him capable of finding a miko. He would have, under normal circumstances, made an example of those who had questioned his capabilities but instead he opened the door to the room and motioned for the miko to enter.

As soon as Kagome entered the room she grasped her temples and fell to her knees. Sesshoumaru rushed to her side to keep her from falling completely onto her face. He was unsure of what happened, but he would not allow the miko to be injured while in his employ. He carefully lifted her stiff form and placed her on an empty space on the large futon where his pups were curled around each other.

The situation had not changed much since he had left to fetch her. All of the pups continued to shift form; their color was pale, their markings fading slowly away. All seven of his pups had two magenta streaks on their cheekbones, and one along their eyelids. The eldest held the crescent moon on his brow, identifying him as the official heir to the Western lands. Each had silver hair and golden eyes, or at least they should. Although their eyes could not be seen, the youngest of his pups now had dark streaks staining their hair.

His eyes were pulled from examining his pups back to the miko as a groan escaped her. Slowly she shifted, attempting to sit up. He assisted her and waited as she tried to regain power over her form.

"Sess… Sesshoumaru…" she whispered. "I'm so sorry." Her voice was so low he barely caught the words, even with his demon hearing. "She… I knew she was… I told him. I warned him. She's… she's with Naraku. How could she?"

"Miko… What are you saying? Who are you speaking of? Who is with Naraku?"

"Kik… Kikyo. She… I knew she was… evil. She has turned… not really Kikyo. My soul… aches. It did this. I have to… I have to fix… this."

"Kikyo? The undead miko of the hanyou? What does she have to do with your soul? How do you know she did this?" He no longer cared for appearances. He knew he sounded desperate, but damn it, the lives of his pups were on the line and he couldn't understand the girl!

"I… I am Kikyo's," Kagome sucked in a deep breath before continuing, finally calming and gaining power over her voice. "I am Kikyo's reincarnation. She carries part of my soul. It keeps her alive, with the help of stolen souls. I… I knew she was evil. She tried to kill Inuyasha just three days ago."

"She has a part of your soul?" Sesshoumaru had heard of such things, but nothing quite like this. It was known to be very painful to live without a part of your soul. Most creatures wither away quickly, some stronger may last a little longer, but he knew Kikyo had been revived nearly two years ago, shortly after his brother had been released from the spell holding him to the God tree. Kagome should not have been able to survive so long without her complete soul.

"Yes. I almost lost it all. I called it back, but she held onto some of it. Now I can feel when she is near. The pain is worse the closer she is. I… I just saw…experienced really… what they did here. Naraku was you. He entered and put up his barrier on the door as the pups slept. Kikyo entered from the balcony and he then sealed that as well…" Kagome went on to recount her vision to Sesshoumaru.

Kagome's Vision

Naraku was still impressed with himself. He had impersonated the Great Lord Sesshoumaru successfully in his own home. He sealed the door with a powerful barrier, dropped his disguise, and walked towards the balcony doors. Kikyo entered his vision as she was slowly lifted by her Soul Collectors and lowered onto the balcony. The eel-like demons flew into the distance as she entered the room and Naraku closed the balcony doors and curtains, then putting a barrier in place there as well. He was more than aware that the barrier was not sound-proof. He had in fact done it on purpose. It was just one more way to injure Sesshoumaru, who had caused him so much trouble and had successfully escaped him when he had attempted to absorb the demon lord into himself. Naraku wanted to be sure the Great Western Lord knew that his pups suffered by his hand.

Kikyo smiled darkly as she approached. The pups began to stir and Kikyo began to chant lowly. Each pup was startled awake by the shift in aura of the room. They laid eyes on Naraku and Kikyo and began to whimper. As Kikyo chanted they began to feel incredible pain, worse than any they had experienced in their young lives.

Kagome could feel the evil rolling from Kikyo over the pups, she could hear their screams and she could feel their pain. Their skin felt like it was on fire, their muscles burned, and they were unable to move at all. They could do nothing but scream. As they were held immobile Kikyo nodded to Naraku and seven tentacles shot from his body, each one piercing the chest of a pup. They did not go all the way through, but instead stopped about halfway, the tip of the tentacle in the direct center of each chest. Naraku grinned and released his miasma through the tentacles into the chests of the young pups. Their screams increased tenfold as did their pain as the toxin entered their small bodies. After a few moments Naraku withdrew his tentacles and chucked darkly as one by one the pups lost consciousness.

Kikyo and Naraku observed their work and then Kagome heard them speak.

"He will never be able to save them." Kikyo let loose a low laugh. "No one but a miko can reverse my curse and no miko would help a demon, let alone the cold, cruel demon Lord of the West. He will watch as his heirs turn to what he most despises before his eyes. Once they are human, they will no longer be immune to your miasma."

Naraku slipped his hand out and pulled Kikyo to his body, placing kisses on the crook of her neck. "Oh, yes. I am so very glad you decided to join with me, my Kikyo. Now, Sesshoumaru will know true suffering." He sneered as he spoke the Demon Lord's name. "Once his young become weak humans, he will watch them, one by one, succumb to my miasma. An excellent plan, if I do say so myself."

"Yes, Lord Naraku," Kikyo moaned as he continued his ministrations on the cold pale column of her throat. "An ingenious plan to bring that arrogant demon to his knees."

Kagome wanted to gag and it was just a vision. The two moved towards the balcony and the door blew open, a cloud of purple miasma flying away, leaving nothing of them behind. The barrier fell and the servants rushed into the room.

End Vision

"I know what I have to do." Kagome looked and smelled nervous as she spoke. "I need you to promise me that no matter what, you will not interrupt me once I start." She looked up into the golden eyes that watched her carefully. "It may look like I am purifying them, but I will not hurt them. If you were to stop me though, you or the pups may end up being purified accidentally. I will start with the youngest. They will be the weakest and will fade the fastest. The older pups will be able to fight longer." Kagome's gaze swept over the pups. "They are all boys and so young. How old are they?"

Sesshoumaru looked over his pups in their weakened state. He was filled with rage at the knowledge of their suffering. "The oldest two are almost one and a half years. The middle three are two months younger, and the youngest two are barely one."

Tears began to fill Kagome's eyes once more as she realized just how little time the pups had been alive before experiencing such pain and suffering. She hoped she had enough power to save them all. "I am going to do my best to heal them all now, from youngest to oldest. I hope I have enough strength. If not, I'll end up passing out and I may not wake in time for the eldest. I will try my hardest for you."

Outside, Sesshoumaru looked as calm as usual, nodding to the miko to show he had heard, but inside he was locked in a battle with his beast.

'Our miko will be in danger if she does this! She would risk herself for our pups! We cannot let harm come to her.'

'_The miko is strong. She has more power than she knows. She will live.'_

'Our miko needs help! She is the one! We must protect her!'

'_The miko is not our miko, no matter how many times you say such. She is human! Do not worry. She will be kept safe.'_

'The miko is **our** miko! She will need help. Look at her. She fears her weakness, though she is strong.'

'_The miko is human! This Sesshoumaru will not…'_

'Will not what? Will not mate with a human? I've heard it all before. Well **this** Sesshoumaru is tired of being ignored. You will hear me. You will listen or you will regret it! There is more to her than you know, much, much more than can be seen. You will learn and when you do I only hope it will not be too late, that the damage you do can be undone. We need to console her! Console our miko! Tell her of her strength. Help her!'

'_Fine! This Sesshoumaru will tell __**the **__miko she is strong. We __will__ find a way to help. What do you speak of when you say there is more to her?' _His beast did not answer. _'Tell this Sesshoumaru of what you speak!'_

After a short pause, his beast finally replied. '**This** Sesshoumaru refuses to speak about what you refuse to listen to. Help her.'

Sesshoumaru let out a barely audible sigh before he turned to the girl causing him such inner turbulence. Sesshoumaru gazed at the determined yet frightened young miko, trying to see anything that he may have missed, anything that would explain the odd insistence of his beast. Never had he been so strong willed and defiant. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, he decided to try to encourage the miko. "Miko… Kagome… you have much more power than you think. I can sense it just beneath the surface. If you believe in your own power, you will do fine. This Sesshoumaru greatly appreciates your efforts. Is there anything I can do to aid you?"

Kagome looked into his eyes, surprised that he called her by name, and then quickly looked away. "No," she said softly.

He immediately sensed her deceit, a low growl rumbling from deep in his chest. Why would she lie about this? What was she hiding from him? "Miko, speak. I know of your lies, for it sours your scent. What is it that this Sesshoumaru can do?"

Kagome hesitated for a long time before whispering, "Kikyo. If she were to die, I would have my whole soul, with more strength, power, endurance, and control, but I cannot ask you to kill her. Inuyasha couldn't handle it. I can't be the cause of her death. He would never forgive me."

He held her eyes for a moment before looking away. "I will ensure you are not interrupted."

"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome whispered softly. When he nodded for her to continue she whispered, so low that his heightened inu senses again almost missed it, "Thank you. I mean, thank you for earlier, for not giving me a good hard shove off of the cloud when I started crying. I didn't mean to." She watched his eyes narrow a bit at her words. "And, thanks, too, for what you are going to do. Even though I wish I wasn't the cause, Kikyo deserves peace and needs to return to the dead."

"Do not think on it miko. I will kill the undead dark miko for her curse on my pups. It will not be your doing or your fault. And miko, I would not be so unintelligent as to drop my only chance for healing from the sky before she got the chance to heal. Perhaps next time." For a second, Kagome was certain she saw a smirk, but it was gone so fast she decided she must have imagined it.

"Oh, gee, thanks," Kagome muttered to herself. "Well, here goes nothing." Kagome gulped and then knelt at the edge of the futon near one of the two youngest pups.

Sesshoumaru moved towards the door, opened it, and could be heard talking quietly to the servants. He turned to observe the miko and was slightly unnerved at what he saw. '_No wonder she warned me.'_ Kagome held her hands over the pup, one over his heart and one over his forehead. She was glowing with the soft pink of her miko powers, brightest at her palms, and the bright pink light was being pushed into his pup. He could see a dark purple, almost black light rise up to push against Kagome's power. She furrowed her brow and focused harder. Her light pushed through the darkness, and the pup's whole body slowly took on a pink glow as well. Suddenly the light flared and he had to look away. When he looked back, his pup's hair had returned to full silver and his marking were their original dark magenta shade once more. His eyes widened slightly as he saw a soft pink tear drop glow brightly under the pup's left eye before settling into the skin, appearing as another marking. He wondered briefly at the meaning and if it would be permanent, but at the moment he failed to care. The pup was no longer being purified. That was all that mattered.

He watched as she moved onto the next youngest pup, repeating the process. She did not look tired yet, but she was only on the second out of seven and he did not want to lose any. He walked slowly out of the door the rest of the way and closed it behind him. He bid his servants not to interrupt and to only enter if called for. Otherwise they were to peek every now and then silently to see if she needed assistance, for she would be weak when she finished her work. He also ordered a room to be prepared for her, a specific room. Though he was unsure as to why he had chosen it, Sesshoumaru decided to worry about it later and get moving now.

He then proceeded towards the entrance and exited his home, inhaling deeply. He didn't smell her. Deciding to move farther out, he took to the air and flew a short ways before scenting the air again. He repeated this process for a time before he caught the hint of decay and graveyard soul. He turned in the direction of his prey and scented the air again. His brows furrowed and he let a frown cross his lips. He smelled a familiar hanyou with her, and it wasn't Naraku.


	5. An Uninviting Cold and a Dangerous One

Chapter 5 – An Uninviting Cold and a Dangerous One

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Inuyasha & co. belong to the illustrious Rumiko Takahashi. I do, however, own all my original characters and this plotline.**

**Chapter 5 – An Uninviting Cold and a Dangerous One**

The sunset was met by two humans and two demons waiting near the old bone eater's well. They had yet to be joined by their inu hanyou companion and had decided then that they would await the return of their priestess without him. Shippo raced around chasing after a tiny Kirara, trying to keep his mind busy until his beloved Kagome returned to him, finally. Meanwhile Miroku and Sango sat side by side on the ground leaning back on the edge of the well, watching the two youkai run circles around them. Inuyasha had still not shown himself and they were beginning to worry. He always came back before Kagome said she would return. When they had first arrived at the well, Shippo had been excited, exclaiming that he smelled Kagome, but he was disappointed when she was no where around. He slowly began to second guess himself until he was convinced that he had imagined her scent because he longed for her to arrive.

Sango was deep in thought, wondering once more at the stupidity of their half-demon friend. Really, Kagome loved him, accepted him, and supported him in everything. Kagome was, whether he knew it or was willing to admit it or not, the main source of his strength. When they had, in the past, ended up in a fight during a time when the miko was in her time, she and Miroku had both noticed that Inuyasha had not fought nearly as well as when the miko was present. His power and strength was derived from his desire to protect her. And yet he continued to hurt her over and over, constantly rubbing Kikyo in her face. There were times where she wanted to beat him senseless, just to get him to shut his mouth. Usually though, Kagome took care of it just fine with only one word that sent the hanyou to the ground for some much needed time to think about his words, not that it ever seemed to help.

She had been sitting for some time, trying to figure out what was wrong with Inuyasha, when her thoughts were quickly redirected to what was wrong, or would soon be wrong, with another of her companions. She felt as Miroku's hand slid behind her, softly rubbing the flesh of her rear, as her anger flared. In an instant she'd stood, turned, and smacked him as hard as she could, which by the way, really left her hand stinging! Miroku ended up tossed to the side, the force behind the smack knocking him over, as well as leaving a bright angry red handprint on his cheek.

"It was worth it," he whispered to himself, although it was heard by both youkai companions who had turned to watch the show. "It's always worth it." Shippo merely shook his head while Kirara seemed to roll her eyes, before they both continued playing.

Sango, on the other hand, moved a few yards away from the monk and the well and was now sitting at the base of a tree at the edge of the clearing, glaring at him as hard as possible. _'Why can't he keep his damn hands to himself? It was so nice sitting there with him, watching as the sun set. But no, he had to ruin it again! He always ruins the moment!'_ Sango continued to grumble to herself, all the while glaring at the source of her aggravation.

Miroku tried his best to look sheepish and apologetic but he knew she didn't buy it. She never did. Sango was just too smart for him, too good for him altogether. He sat in silence, contemplating the woman he loved and why he found it so difficult to keep his hands to himself. _'If I had been able to keep my hand off of her, she would still be sitting here next to me! Why? Why must I be so stupid?!'_ Miroku was quite frustrated with himself. He was too afraid of the future and her possible reaction to tell her his true feelings, and instead he found himself rubbing her bottom! It was almost as if he was purposely pushing her away. Maybe he was. If she didn't get too attached to him then she wouldn't be hurt when his curse took him away from them all.

While Sango grumbled her anger, Miroku cursed his curse, and Shippo and Kirara played, the sun set, fully disappearing from the horizon, leaving darkness and a sparkling sky full of stars in its place.

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Inuyasha sat high in a tree with Kikyo nestled between his legs, leaning he back against his chest. He held her close to him, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. They did not speak much but he was content just to be in her presence. He had come across her accidentally while running through the forest, trying to work off his frustration at Kagome. The girl always interfered. He and Kikyo had just been talking and she goes and flips out, shooting purification arrows of all things towards them. The girl's aim far from being good enough for her to be shooting in his and Kikyo's direction!

He'd been sitting in the corner of the hut three days ago, watching over the group as the slept when he smelled her.

Flashback

Inuyasha immediately recognized the telltale scent of death and graveyard soil and, as quietly as possible, he rose and crept out of the hut, making sure not to wake anyone. He didn't need Kagome knowing he was going to see Kikyo again. Once he was a few steps past the doorway he took off into a run, following the scent into the nearby forest that bore his name. He knew he was getting close when he saw the ethereal light of her soul collectors curling around the trees towards him. Once they were sure they had his attention, they continued on their task of drawing the hanyou to their mistress.

Looking around, he entered the clearing and spotted her. She looked as perfect as always, not a hair out of place, not a spot on her clothing. Almost as if he had no control over his feet he approached her, stopping only a foot or so before her, gazing into her dark brown eyes. She gave him a small smile that made his heart jump in his chest.

"Kikyo…what are you doing here?" Even he knew she only showed up when she wanted or needed something of him.

"Can I not just wish to see you, Inuyasha? Or have you forgotten me now that you have my reincarnation chasing after you like a devoted little puppy?" Her voice was soft but it held a darker undertone, betraying her dislike of Kagome.

"No, Kikyo! Of course not! I'm always happy to see you." He stood staring into her eyes, drawn into them while he continued, now in a whisper, "I miss you so much."

"Good, Inuyasha. Now, tell me, what news have you of Naraku and the shards?"

He had spent the next few minutes speaking of recent battles, telling her of the shards they'd found and any hints of Naraku's presence. It had all been innocent talking when suddenly the blinding light of a purification arrow flew into the clearing, landing at their feet. His eyes whipped to the side and saw Kagome standing at the edge of the clearing, bow in hand. He immediately turned and started yelling at her. He couldn't remember Kikyo leaving the area, just the fight with Kagome that had ensued. He then spent the next two days in the God tree, sulking over both the fight and his interrupted time with his undead love.

End Flashback

Finally he had decided sulking was getting him nowhere and had decided to run. Running at top speed through the treetops was a guilty pleasure of his. It always made him feel free, free from everything that dragged him down the rest of the time. Free of his guilt over Kikyo's death, free from his confusing feelings for Kagome, free from the stress of the shard hunt and Naraku, free from everything. He came across Kikyo purely by accident while running. He was quite a distance from the village when he caught her scent and was once again drawn to her. When he reached his first love again earlier that day, he had forgotten everything but her. Their day had been a confusing and fairly disturbing one, at least from his point of view, and he was surprised she still allowed him to hold her in his arms, and even more surprised that he had yet to throw up!

Flashback

Inuyasha had been running from treetop to treetop, trying to avoid any and all thoughts. Thinking was not something he enjoyed, as it always made him more confused. Catching her scent on the air, Inuyasha changed direction and headed towards Kikyo, drawn like a moth to a flame. When he landed in front of her, she did not seem surprised to see him. Instead, she gave him a forced smile that he failed to recognize for what it really was. She then opened her arms to him and he stepped up and into them, holding her close. He felt her kiss his cheek, moving towards his lips, but rather than warm and soft, her lips were cold and hard. She noticed immediately his lack of response and pulled back to look at him, her eyes questioning.

"Inuyasha, is this not what you want? To hold me once more, to kiss me, to make me your mate as you spoke of in the past?" She did her best to look upset and once again the hanyou fell for her acting skills. "Or do you no longer desire me, now that you have my reincarnation as a replacement?"

Inuyasha had always desired Kikyo but while she was alive she would not allow him to touch her. They had hugged only once and that was when he caught her as she tripped. Any other time she refused him, stating that as a priestess she could not allow herself to be touched by a demon, and especially not a hanyou. While her words hurt him, he understood as well. No one would want to be touched by a hanyou, which was why he had agreed to wish on the jewel to become human for her. Now, here she was in his arms encouraging him to kiss her.

"Of course not, Kikyo. I will always desire you. You're beautiful and I love you. I will **always** love you." Closing his eyes, he leaned in to kiss her. He felt her lips part and nearly cringed as he felt her tongue enter his mouth, and he tasted dirt and clay along with a distinct rotting flavor. He fought down the urge to gag and allowed her to explore his mouth. It was when she began to encourage his tongue to enter her mouth that he broke away, supposedly for breath. He was torn. He had always wanted to kiss her like that but the smell of her, the **taste** of her, was almost too much to handle. But it wasn't her fault she was in this clay imitation of a body and he refused to hurt her by denying her, so he fought his gag reflex and continued on. He felt as her cold hands slid under his outer and inner haori, finding his hard, warm chest. He shivered and then prayed silently that she thought it was a shiver of pleasure and not what it really was, a shiver of disgust. Her hands were like ice. It felt like he was being touched by the dead and if he had the ability to see the situation objectively, he would have known why.

Kikyo smirked against his mouth. He would make her his mate now, a powerful blow against her hated reincarnation who she knew loved the hanyou. Really, this meant nothing to the dead priestess. She couldn't feel anything anyway. Her clay body was distinctly lacking in nerve endings, making her task that much easier. She no longer cared that he was a hanyou touching a priestess. How could she when she had already mated with Naraku to bind their partnership. No, this was purely to hurt Kagome, and had in fact been Naraku's latest idea. She continued to run her hands over his chest, sliding them up to his shoulders to slide his outer and inner haori to the ground. She moved away from him then, only to slowly, seductively remove the white haori and red hakama of her priestess garb, leaving herself bare before him.

Inuyasha's eyes widened. She was beautiful. Her body was pale and smooth, completely flawless. She beckoned for him to approach and took his hands in hers, guiding them to her breasts. As the palms of his hands met her skin, however, instead of finding soft warm inviting flesh, he found that her body felt like a stone sculpture. His manhood, which had hardened to attention at the sight of her body shriveled within seconds at the feel of her. Again he tried his hardest to hide his discomfort. He ran his hands over her body, tracing her curves, trying his best to appear to be enjoying things. He felt it then, her hand, sliding down the waist of his hakamas, reaching for her goal.

She had expected him to be hard and ready, but that was not what she found. Instead he was flaccid and it almost seemed as if it flinched away from her touch. She looked up into his eyes, trying her best to hide her anger and look upset. "Inuyasha, am I no longer attractive to you in this false body?"

She looked so sad and he didn't want to hurt her, anything but that. Kikyo didn't deserve more pain. She had suffered more than her share and he would not be the source of more. "Of course you are, Kikyo. You're beautiful." He tried to distract her with a kiss while he closed his eyes and tried to will himself an erection. He imagined her body warm, flushed with blood, arching beneath him as he had fantasized many times in the past. In his mind his eyes trailed up her body, tracing her curves, and he felt himself stir. It was working. As he continued his mental perusal of her body in his mind, he looked over her heaving breasts tipped in dark pink peaks before looking into her amazingly deep blue eyes. _'Wait, blue eyes? Shit!' _He was fantasizing about Kagome! While he had a naked and waiting Kikyo in his arms! He took a quick inventory of his body and found that it had done the trick. She was now stroking his arousal with her ice cold hand and he immediately returned to his fantasy, the feel of her touch causing him to almost lose it again. This was not quite how he had imagined things going.

Kikyo smirked when she felt him harden in her hand and she stroked him gently. She then slowly lowered herself to the ground, pulling him down on top of her. "Do it Inuyasha," she said in a breathy seductive voice, apparently unaware of how bad her breath actually was. "Make me your mate so we can be together forever." She guided his left hand lower on her body, never letting go of her death grip on his cock with her other hand.

His eyes snapped open at her words and at the feel of the new location she had placed his hand. He explored the area. It was just as cold and hard as the rest of her. He found the opening where she expected him to enter her, to mate with her, and slid a finger in. He shivered again and no amount of fantasizing was going to keep his erection this time. Her passage was dry, scraping at his finger, and the edges were sharp. It was definitely not what he had been looking forward to all this time. He decided then and there that there was no way in all the seven layers of hell that he was going to stick his dick in there! He liked it the way it was; even if it was lonely, and he did not intend to have it ripped apart by trying to shove it in there! No way!

She felt as his erection softened to nothing and he pulled away, sitting down next to her. "I'm sorry Kikyo, but I can't do this." In his mind he was searching for any excuse, any way to let her down easy. "I…um…I don't think…I mean…I think…maybe we should wait, you know, until Naraku is defeated and the jewel is complete. It's just that, mating now would make us more…vulnerable…to his attack." He knew it was a load of crap but he was begging the Kamis that she would buy it!

Kikyo was pissed. How dare he?! Was she not good enough for his dirty hanyou self? She did her best to hide her anger from him. "Inuyasha, are you sure? I thought this was what you wanted?"

'_Yeah, so did I… until I touched you.' _He fought hard to hold back another shiver of disgust. Her smell covered him and if he didn't get a bath soon, he wasn't sure he could handle it. "I do, Kikyo. I do want you to be my mate. I just don't think that now is the right time."

After quite a bit of him going on and on about his love and devotion to her, as well as a few more excuses, she finally got dressed, as did he, and they sat together in silence for quite some time, perched in the tree they now sat in.

End Flashback

He sat watching the sky while contemplating how things had gotten so screwed up in his life. The woman he had wanted with every thread of his being had offered herself to him and he had to think of another just to get turned on, and then, yeeechhhh. He couldn't even continue his thoughts from there. He wanted to forget that it had ever happened. Finally he noticed the sun beginning to set, jarring his memory of another priestess, her eyes of blue once again coming to mind, at least this time at not quite such an inappropriate moment.

"Kikyo, I'm sorry but I have to get back."

She leaned forward and turned her head so she could look him in the eye. "Going so soon, Inuyasha? Do you miss my reincarnation that much?" Kikyo knew just what strings to pull to make him feel guilty. She always had and it always worked to her benefit. She was still furious that he had refused her and now he wanted to leave her as well to return to that pathetic copy? If it wasn't for her irritating, pathetic excuse for a reincarnation's constant interference, she would already have her revenge of the hanyou for her death, and would not have suffered such an embarrassment as being refused by a hanyou! Naraku had wanted her, taken her, and enjoyed her. She didn't understand how Inuyasha could have denied her!

"No… no Kikyo, that isn't it at all. I just have to go back so we can go find more shards. I don't want to waste any time. The sooner we have the shards, the sooner I can defeat Naraku, and then we can be together. I was thinking, Kikyo. Instead of wishing to be a full demon, maybe I could…" He hesitated, looking away with a slight blush on his cheeks. "Maybe I could wish you back to life." _'Then maybe I could be with you without the disgusting smell and the ice cold, hard clay. Maybe then I could actually mate you.' _Some thoughts, even he knew, were best kept to himself.

He missed the odd look in her eyes at that. Little did he know that Kikyo had already been promised to have her life restored by a different hanyou, if she were to help him with a few choice tasks of course. She had never intended to go to hell with Inuyasha. Her idiot reincarnation had misinterpreted what she came across in the forest but had ruined her plan nonetheless. Naraku wanted Inuyasha out of the way and she still craved revenge for his failure to protect her. She was more than happy to take the inu-hanyou out of the picture.

Flashback

She had successfully lured him away from his companions, like always. That had never been a difficult task. He was always quick to leave them all unprotected to see her. Tonight however would end a bit differently than usual. She had her orders from Naraku and she would follow them and make the inu hanyou pay, finally, for her death. She had a curse ready and waiting and she only needed him to stay close while she spoke the necessary words. Then he would be in her complete control and would take care of a few other annoyances before killing himself for her. She smirked at the thought. Soon he would kill his friends. And to her great pleasure, he would also kill her reincarnation, freeing the rest of **her** soul so she could live again. Yes, this would be a good night.

She watched as he entered the clearing, looking around until their eyes met. She smiled at him, at his stupidity really, as he was drawn into her spell, approaching her in a near trancelike state.

"Kikyo…what are you doing here?"

"Can I not just wish to see you, Inuyasha? Or have you forgotten me now that you have my reincarnation chasing after you like a devoted little puppy?" Her tone was darker than she intended but he failed to notice.

"No, Kikyo! Of course not! I'm always happy to see you." He stood, staring into her eyes, drawn into them, while he continued, now in a whisper, "I miss you so much."

"Good, Inuyasha. Now, I want you to listen closely to what I say." She began the curse, speaking lowly in a language he didn't understand, not that he noticed. He was now in her control and couldn't get away if he wanted to. A glow started to surround them as she continued to speak the necessary words to set the curse. Once completed, it would be unbreakable and he would follow the instructions given to him to the letter, eventually leading to his own death. She had been so close too, when a bright light flew towards them from the edge of the clearing. She looked down at the purification arrow which had landed near their feet before looking up to see Inuyasha completely free again. He began yelling at her reincarnation and Kikyo took advantage of his distraction to slip away.

End Flashback

Kikyo felt Inuyasha stiffen behind her. She extended her senses and felt a powerful demon aura fast approaching. "Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha hissed. He lifted her into his arms and dropped to the ground before setting her down carefully and placing her behind him. He put his hand on Tetsusaiga's hilt and awaited the arrival of his much hated elder brother.

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Kagome was getting tired. She had healed the first four successfully, and was now working on the fifth. All that would remain were the two eldest and she was unsure if she would be able to complete her task, but she had to. She was determined to save them all, no matter what.

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Sesshoumaru was close now. He could smell both his brother and the disgusting scent of the dead bitch. How his brother could stand to be in her presence he would never understand. He could feel his claws and fangs lengthen in preparation for the kill but little did he know that he would not get to slaughter the bitch today.

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When Kikyo heard Inuyasha say the Demon Lord's name she immediately called for her soul collectors. She had a good idea as to why he would be here but how he had figured it out worried her slightly. When Sesshoumaru arrived at the edge of the clearing Inuyasha immediately yelled at him.

"What the fuck do you want now, Sesshoumaru? You can't have my sword."

"Silence, half-breed," Sesshoumaru snarled. His eyes were starting to bleed red. Inuyasha had only seen his brother like this once before, in their father's tomb, right before he transformed into his true form. "I have no business with you. I am here for the dead miko."

Inuyasha felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise in warning and he raised his sword. "What business do you have with Kikyo? Leave her out of this! This is between you and me!"

Sesshoumaru allowed his eyes to leave the figure of the miko to glare at his half-brother. He let out a feral growl. "Fool!" Sesshoumaru charged and Inuyasha reached for Kikyo to leap out of the way. He only found air and looked around quickly while diving out of the way of his charging brother. He finally spotted her, being held in their air with her soul collectors wrapped around her.

Sesshoumaru was now beyond control. His brother, the idiot, got in-between him and his prey and now he would pay. His eyes were now blood red and his face was transforming into a snout. His stripes were jagged and poison dripped from his claws as he clenched and unclenched is fist. He leapt for his brother again as Inuyasha released the Windscar. The elder brother managed to leap out of the way and was about to attack again when he felt a tug at his soul. Immediately his face and eyes returned to normal. Inuyasha was baffled for a moment at the quick change. Sesshoumaru finally looked around and realized the dead miko had escaped him.

"You will not always be there to protect her, brother," Sesshoumaru growled, adding extra emphasis to the word brother as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. With that said, Sesshoumaru leapt into the air, disappearing before Inuyasha's eyes. The hanyou was left in the clearing, confused. What had his brother wanted with Kikyo? Why did she run? He would have protected her. With nothing but questions swirling in his mind, he took off in the direction Kikyo disappeared in, deciding to get some answers and to be there to protect her, just in case his brother returned. All thoughts of another girl were lost in the shadow of Kikyo's memory, as always.

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The sun had now fully set and their time traveling miko had yet to return to them. They finally decided to return to Kaede's hut. Maybe she was delayed and would come back in the morning instead. Each had their doubts as to that though. Each had a bad feeling that Kagome was not where they thought she was and that she was in trouble but no one shared their feeling, figuring the others would feel they were being irrational, overreacting. Perhaps they should have been more open with each other…

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Kagome was working on the last pup. She knew she was tiring and she was slightly afraid but she would not let this pup miss out on life because she was too weak. This last pup was Sesshoumaru's true heir after all, his first born male, not that they weren't all male. She vaguely wondered if that was some kind of record or if it was a demon thing. She was sure this pup was **the** heir because of the crescent moon adorning the pup's forehead. She refused to let this little boy down. She refused to let Sesshoumaru down. She refused to let herself down. She dug down deep inside of herself and grasped onto the last bit of her power. She pushed herself as hard as she could and finally the last pup had returned to normal.

Although none of the pups had awakened yet, she was not worried. She had chosen this way of healing them because she knew she wouldn't have enough strength to heal and reverse the purification and to purify the miasma. She knew that the pups were strong enough, despite their young age, to purge their own bodies of the miasma. Their father was after all a poison master, the fact of which made them immune to just about all poisons, and this included the evil hanyou's disgusting purple clouds of death.

She sat up slowly, shaking all over, and looked over her patients. They now all had beautiful, pure silver hair, free of dark streaks. Their markings all stood out proudly on their cheeks and eye lids. Then, for the first time she noticed the small pink tear drop each now sported below their left eyes. She smiled softly and felt herself fading. _'Sesshoumaru, I did it. I saved them all for you'_ After her final thought she passed out cold. At that exact moment a certain demon lord felt a tug on his soul.

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Sesshoumaru was now racing back to his palace. He was angry with his brother for distracting him from his prey and angry with himself for letting the vile bitch escape his grasp. Once he felt that tug he knew something was wrong. As he raced as fast as he could, he thought of all the things it could be. Could one of his pups have died? Did Kagome fail him? Was she all right? What if she hurt herself trying to save his pups? Since when did he care, and for that matter, since when did he call the miko Kagome? No answers were forthcoming.

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A few minutes after Kagome lost consciousness a servant slowly opened the door a sliver and peeked inside. She sighed in relief when she saw all the pups back to their normal colorings but then gasped as she noticed the very pale miko lying limply on the floor. She immediately called for help and rushed in. She lifted the girl with ease into her arms and carried her to the room her Lord had ordered prepared for her to rest in, ignoring a squawking Jaken as they went. They had been given orders after all, directly from their Lord. They didn't understand why he would give the miko that specific room out of all of the available rooms in the palace, but it was not their place to question him. They knew better than that. They all wanted to keep their heads firmly attached to their bodies.

Jaken continued on with his rant, threatening the lives of the servants for placing the girl in **that** room. No one, absolutely **no one** was allowed to enter that room and now the idiots were placing a human miko there? They would surely all be killed when his Lord returned. Deciding that no one was listening to him he finally slumped to the floor next to the doorway. He would be sure to let Lord Sesshoumaru know who had done such a terrible thing as to pollute **that** room with a human's presence!

The healers rushed into the room to examine the human girl. They had been told to keep her alive at all costs if she were to, in fact, collapse, just as she had. After a quick evaluation, listening to her heart and her breathing as well as checking over her aura they came to their conclusion. She was pale, her skin like ice, and her scent weak. Her heartbeat was soft and unsteady, her breathing shallow. The healers looked at each other sadly. This strange, caring, powerful creature had risked her life to save their young lords and now as payment for the deed she was going to die.


	6. A Glimmer of Hope, Growing Worries

Chapter 6 – A Glimmer of Hope, Growing Worries

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Inuyasha & co. belong to the illustrious Rumiko Takahashi. I do, however, own all my original characters and this plotline.**

**Chapter 6 – A Glimmer of Hope, Growing Worries**

Sesshoumaru was moving towards the palace at lightning speed. When he reached the courtyard he saw Rin. As soon as she spotted him, Rin was jumping up and down and cheering. He stopped beside her for a moment and she threw her arms around his leg. "Lord Sesshoumaru! Rin is so happy that you have returned! The priestess Kagome, she healed all the young Lords! That's what the servants are saying. But my Lord, Rin is worried! They took her to her room and the healers have been with her since. Rin saw when they carried her out. She looked like she was sleeping but Rin doesn't think she was." Sesshoumaru looked down at the girl, placing a hand on her head, and finally noticed Jaken at her side. Apparently he had been speaking all this time as well.

"Jaken, what is it?" He didn't have time for this. "It had better be important."

Jaken shivered slightly, knowing that the tone in his Lord's voice meant nothing good for him. "My Lord, the servants! I warned them not to. I told them you would be angry but they ignored this Jaken as always. They show no respect to your loyal retainer." 

"And what is it that you think they have done that will warrant this Sesshoumaru's anger?" Sesshoumaru wanted nothing but to run into the castle and check on his pups and Kagome. Of course he would never admit to himself that he was worried about the girl. No, he was only interested in her welfare because he owed her a debt.

"Those insolent servants, they have placed that filthy human miko in the room to the right of your own. They have sullied the sanctity that you ordered maintained. Now the disgusting scent of that human will be impossible to get out!" Jaken huffed while waving his staff around.

"Master Jaken, don't talk of Lady Kagome like that!" Rin yelled at Jaken, who merely gaped at the girl. How dare she speak to him as such? Surely Lord Sesshoumaru would put her in her place.

"Jaken, the servants followed my instructions. And Rin is correct. Do not speak of the miko in such a way." Jaken's eyes bulged and his beak-like mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water gasping for breath. "It is time for Rin to retire for the night. Take her to bed now, Jaken."

"B…b…but my Lord?" He didn't get out any more because he found himself squashed face-first into the dirt, a black leather boot on the back of his head for a moment before Sesshoumaru continued on into the palace.

"Sleep well, Rin," was all that he said before he was gone. '_Damn that Jaken! He wasted so much time with his babbling._'

Sesshoumaru moved quickly through the castle to the room where his pups rested, nearly breaking the door with the force he used to open it. He looked around, carefully checking over each pup. Though they were still unconscious, their appearances had returned to normal. _'It is as Rin said. She has healed them.' _He gave a sigh of relief and it was then that he realized there was an odd scent in the room, as well as a missing one. He leaned over the pup closest to him and scented him carefully. His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and he scented the pup again. Surely he was wrong. The results were the same and now he went to each pup repeating the process. His demon pups now carried the scent of pure power, the likes of which he had never experienced on a demon, but he was all too familiar with in miko. '_What has she done?'_

He followed her drastically faded scent into the room he had ordered readied for her. He walked in slowly and looked to his healers who kneeled at both sides of the futon. The girl was deathly pale. He could barely hear her breathing and her heart beat. Her beautiful scent was so weak it was almost non-existent and he could no longer sense the power within her. It was completely gone, as if she had never been a miko. Indeed, what had this girl done?

His healers slowly met his eyes, a look of pure mourning in their eyes. They both shook their heads in the negative. _'No! No! She cannot die! She saved my pups! I cannot let her die!' _

"Explain." One word was all he needed and the healers looked back and forth between them, trying to decide who would be the one to deliver the news. Finally the elder of the two spoke softly, reverently, never removing her eyes from the girl. "She is going to die, Sesshoumaru-sama. She gave a piece of herself to each of your sons. They are now connected to her. They each hold a small portion of her power. Your sons are immeasurably stronger because of her sacrifice. They now all hold some form of holy powers. I'm sure you noticed the pink tear drop each pup now carries. It seems that is her mark. Each boy is now immune to the powers of purification as if they were born to a miko. She did this without decreasing their natural powers in any way. She only added to them. Even now you can feel the power she gave them working with their own natural healing energies to purify and expel the miasma in their systems. She did more than save them. She blessed them and she is going to die because of it."

"Why? Why will she die?"

"My Lord, she has spread herself too thin. She only had so much power to use and only so much to give. It would take time for her power to regenerate but it seems she ran out. She gave every last bit in her final attempt to save your heir. With no power remaining she has lost the ability to create more. We found her on the floor unconscious and she has not awakened. I fear that she will not."

"She did not have possession of her complete soul. The undead miko Kikyo holds a portion of this girl's soul. If it were to be returned, could she be saved?"

The healers' eyes widened for a moment. This girl attempted the task without her complete soul? "It is possible, My Lord. I cannot be sure but it may be enough to allow her miko energy to return and keep her alive while her powers restore themselves. Until then there may be one way to temporarily give her strength." The woman hesitated now under her lord's scrutiny. She was unsure if she should mention the option. Her lord despised humans, but then there was young Lady Rin plus the fact that this particular human was responsible for the survival of all of his pups. Maybe he would feel obligated to try.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed at her nervousness. "Go on," he ordered.

"Yes, My Lord. Well, there may be a way to keep her strong enough to stay alive for a short period of time but I do not think My Lord will like it."

"It is not your place to speculate. Now out with it!" He was growling lowly now. He wanted to save Kagome, damn it. It didn't matter what he had to do. She had saved **and** blessed his pups. She deserved anything he could give her. She certainly did not deserve to die for her generosity and she did not deserve to die because he failed to slay a woman that was already dead!

The healer finally decided to just come out and say it. "You could give her some of your youki; share your power with her to keep her alive. I think, My Lord, that it is the only way to save her, to keep her alive long enough for you to find and kill the undead miko."

"Hn." He frowned to himself. Could he give a human some of his demonic energy, his youki? She did give her miko powers to his sons, so yes, he decided, he could and he would. Never one to second guess his decisions he stepped forward and motioned the healers out. They rushed out the door, closing it behind them. The demon lord knelt beside the barely breathing girl, listening carefully for her heart beat. It was slow, slower already than when he had entered the room and it was so soft he could barely hear it at all. It was now or never. He leaned down, hesitating for a moment before he pressed his lips gently to hers, calling his youki to rise and enter the girl. He gave it to her slowly to be sure not to overwhelm her. She had a human body after all and it was not meant to hold demon energy. If she had still contained miko energy he was sure her body would have fought the invasion, but because of her current state he met no resistance. He could hear her heart beat grow slowly louder as he continued to pour his power into her, waiting for a sign to stop. Her pulse became faster, slowly climbing to a normal speed. When her heart sounded like it once had, he pulled back to look at her. Her color had returned and now she looked as if she was just asleep rather than already dead.

He felt himself relax and found himself to be relieved that the girl would not die. He was determined to find the undead dark miko Kikyo and return her to her grave so that Kagome would be returned her soul and survive for him to thank and attempt to repay, if it was even possible to find a way to repay her for all she had done. He wasn't sure that anything would be enough, despite the fact that she had asked for no payment for her help. He sighed heavily before rising and leaving the room. He assigned a servant to watch over her constantly, in case of a change in her condition. He also ordered another servant to remain with the pups. Then he retired to his chambers next door to where Kagome was resting, dressing for sleep. He suddenly felt exhausted and even somewhat weak. He realized then just how much youki he had given her. She should not have been able to hold so much without it destroying her frail human body but she was an enigma, who rested comfortably in the next room with more than half of his power flowing through her body.

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Inuyasha was leaping through the tree tops, still in search of Kikyo. He didn't know why his brother was after her but he couldn't let anything happen to her. He failed to protect her once; he refused to fail her again. He was so distracted by his search for his first love that he completely forgot about Kagome. He was supposed to have returned to the village to greet her at the well at sunset but now sunset had long since passed and dawn was approaching. The trail of Kikyo's scent had been weak to begin with because she was being carried by her soul collectors. Now he had lost all traces of it and was running blind. _'Kikyo, please be safe. I will find you. I will not let my bastard brother hurt you!'_

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Kikyo knew Inuyasha had followed after her and was still searching. She was unsure as to why Sesshoumaru was after her but she had a pretty good idea. _'Somehow he must have discovered that I was involved in cursing his pups. Damn you, Naraku, you swore you would hide my scent so that he wouldn't find out!' _While it was true she had joined with Naraku, it was for her own selfish reasons rather than a desire to help his cause. Kikyo wanted revenge on Inuyasha and Naraku agreed to help her. She also wanted her pitiful reincarnation dead. Naraku promised to bring her back to life fully. All that was needed was for her to obtain her full soul. Causing Sesshoumaru pain was all Naraku's idea but she enjoyed it nonetheless. He was, after all, an evil, heartless demon and all demons deserved to be purified off the face of the earth, at least in her not so humble opinion. Naraku would eventually get his as well, once she was whole and her power was once again complete. Then she would have the jewel and would wish for the extermination of all demon kind. To say she was bitter was a bit of an understatement.

She decided to head towards Naraku, certain that Inuyasha had already lost her scent trail. She could hide behind his barrier for a while until Sesshoumaru was dealt with. Naraku did plan on killing him once he was weakened with grief anyway. His pups should be about halfway purified by now. By tomorrow afternoon they would be human and dying from the toxic miasma. Then Sesshoumaru would be lost to himself in a blood rage, losing his calm, collected demeanor and making it easy for Naraku to finally defeat the thorn in his side.

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Shippo tossed and turned in his sleep. Even in his dreams, he was afraid for his Mama. They were in a dark clearing in the forest surrounded by demons. They covered the sky, all just flying in place, awaiting their orders. Suddenly Naraku's laughter was heard and the group all spun to look in that direction. Shippo watched as Naraku, in his baboon pelt, stood in the tree-line, still laughing. He lifted a hand and the battle was on. The demons flew at them, attacking from all directions. Inuyasha's cry of "Windscar" could be heard over the roar of the demons as golden light filled the clearing for a moment. Sango was throwing her bone boomerang, Kirara was grabbing demons out of the sky in her fangs, and Miroku was throwing sutras and swinging his staff. Shippo was standing to the side, out of the way watching everything. He could see Kagome shooting arrow after arrow, her sacred powers purifying huge groups of demons, but they just kept coming. Shippo continued to watch as the group was separated from each other while fighting until Kagome was standing alone in the middle of the clearing. She had her bow in hand, arrow aimed and glowing with power, when she suddenly collapsed. Shippo cried out for her and tried to run to her, to protect her from the swarm of demons, but in seconds she was completely surrounded and all he could see were their writhing bodies. A moment later they all pulled back, revealing an empty space on the ground. There was nothing left of her. His mama was gone.

The kit awoke with a start, screaming for Kagome. Sango immediately woke and tried to console him, but the kit could not be calmed. All he could do was sob and weakly cry for Kagome. Miroku tried to assist Sango in soothing the kit but it made no difference. The kit's anguish finally caught up with him and he drifted into a dreamless slumber. Sango held him close, watching as he hiccupped in his sleep, and looked at the monk.

"I think he must have had a nightmare. Miroku, I have a bad feeling about Kagome. I think she is in danger." Sango glanced from the sleeping kit in her arms to the monk at her side.

"I agree, Sango. I believe that something has happened. I wish one of us could go through the well to check on her. I wonder where Inuyasha is. He has never stayed away this long, especially when Kagome was due to return."

"What should we do Miroku? I'm really worried."

The monk wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to him. "My dear Sango, I do not think there is anything we can do besides await her and Inuyasha's return. I will meditate and attempt to determine where she is and her condition, but if she is a great distance away or if she is still in her time, I may not be able to reach her. I will do my best to detect her aura." Amazingly, the monk's hand did not stray but stayed wrapped around the demon slayer. She laid her head on his shoulder and drifted back to sleep.

Once she had fallen asleep, Miroku tried his best to locate their missing friend but he had no luck. He could not feel her aura, which was unusual if she was anywhere in the area as her aura was large and powerful, unmistakable, so he determined that she must still be in her time. Their ominous feeling could not be further investigated. Eventually he too returned to sleep.


	7. Sending My Love and A Mother's Wisdom

Chapter 7 – Sending My Love and A Mother's Wisdom

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Inuyasha & co. belong to the illustrious Rumiko Takahashi. I do, however, own all my original characters and this plotline.**

**Chapter 7 – Sending My Love and A Mother's Wisdom**

Sesshoumaru found himself on the edge of a field of white flowers. It was night, the moon a crescent riding high in the sky. He gazed into the field, curious as to where he was and how he got there, when he noticed movement towards the center of the sea of white petals. Slowly he approached. He was shocked at what he saw. It was Kagome, sitting surrounded by flowers, wearing a silver kimono that glimmered in the moon light. She looked ethereal, beautiful, like a goddess. He noticed her entire form shimmered slightly and he realized he could see through her. She appeared to be a spirit, gazing at the stars.

"Kagome…" Sesshoumaru called to her softly. She turned her head and smiled at him and motioned for him to sit beside her. He slowly lowered himself to the ground next to the shimmering spirit.

"I'm glad you're here, Sesshoumaru. I need to ask you a favor."

Sesshoumaru was slightly confused by this. Was this really happening, was this a vision, or was he just having a disturbingly real dream? "What is it Kagome?"

"We never made an agreement on what to do if I didn't make it. I am going to die and I wanted to get a chance to give messages to my friends."

"Kagome, you are not going to die."

"Yes, yes I am Sesshoumaru. I cannot live with so little spirit remaining. With no power left, I cannot make more. There is no hope now. Please, listen to me and do me these last few favors."

"I will listen but know this, you **will not** die. This Sesshoumaru will not allow it."

Kagome giggled a bit before her solemn face returned. "It is so like you to try to control even this. Please, when I die take my body to the village near where you found me. Give me to my friends or to the old village miko Keade. Let them know what happened to me. I also have a personal message for each of them.

"Please tell Kaede that she was like a grandmother to me and that her support made my task much easier. Thank her for her wise words and for trying to train me. I love her and will miss her very much.

"Tell Sango that although she was not my blood, she was the sister of my heart. She taught me how strong a woman can be. Wish her luck in her life with Miroku and ask her to watch over Shippo for me." An iridescent tear glided its way down her face. He listened to her carefully, trying to ensure that he did not forget anything. Even though he was sure she would live, if somehow she did not, he would not fail in completing her last request.

"Thank Miroku for being a great listener, for keeping my secrets and helping me work through the pain. Tell him that he will always be my elder brother. I hope that he has all the children he can handle and more with Sango. Tell him to keep being strong, that Naraku will be defeated and his curse lifted.

"Tell my little Shippo… Oh, my Shippo," Kagome broke down into sobs for a moment. Sesshoumaru attempted to run his hand down her back soothingly but he could not touch her. His hand found only air. When she had finally calmed she continued. "Tell my Shippo that I am sorry that I had to leave him. I'm sorry I made him suffer the loss of another mother. Tell him to grow up strong and kind and know that I will always watch over him. Tell him to stay with Sango and Miroku and that they will take care of him until he can take care of himself. Tell him I love him as my own son and nothing can ever change that." She sobbed quietly for a few moments before taking a deep breath and going on.

"Ask Inuyasha to take my body to my family and ask my mama to bury me next to daddy. Have him tell Mama what happened and that I thank her for always supporting me, no matter how hard it was to let me go. Tell her I love her. Have Inuyasha tell my Gramps that I love him and will miss him and tell Souta to grow up big and strong, and to not cry for me too much. And tell Inuyasha that… that he was my first love. Tell him he is perfect the way he is. He is powerful, brave, and honorable. Ask him to do one last thing for me. Ask him to promise to live for me. Don't let Kikyo take him to hell."

She turned towards him now, looking him in the eye. Her sea blue eyes shimmered with her tears as she finished her last requests. "I know you will go after Naraku for revenge for hurting your pups. Please help my friends so that they all survive the final battle. About your pups, I'm sorry about the mark. I didn't mean to do that but it was the only was to stop and reverse the purification."

"Do not apologize. You not only saved my sons, you made them stronger. They will wear your mark with pride. Miko, there is no need for your tears. I will not let you die."

"Look at me, Sesshoumaru!" She was yelling now, her soft whispers a thing of the past. "I can't even appear solid here! I don't have enough strength to appear properly in a dream, for Kami's sake. I'm going to die. I'm okay with it. I saved them all. That is all that matters to me." Her voice calmed toward the end of her rant into a more peaceful and soothing sound.

He gazed at her for a long while, causing her to shift under his scrutiny. "Kagome, you have to fight. Fight to survive for your friends, for the monk and the slayer, for the old miko and your family, for my brother, for your kit. Do not give up so easily. Fight for yourself as you fought for my pups. Fight so that they have the opportunity to thank the beautiful, selfless woman that saved and blessed them. Live so that I can thank you. I did not deserve your selflessness. You should not have risked your life to save them. I am not worthy of your forgiveness. This Sesshoumaru has harmed you, even attempted to kill you, and yet you helped me. You willingly sacrificed your life to save my sons. You are truly too good for this world. Please Kagome, please fight and survive so that I can repay your kindness, if that is ever possible. I could not live with myself if I were the cause of the world losing your beauty and light. I have given you some of my strength and power to keep you alive. I will kill the undead bitch. You will have your soul returned and your pain will end. This is the very least I can do for you."

She was crying again, slightly in shock from his words. Never had Sesshoumaru sounded so humble, so desperate, even more so than he had when asking for her help. He was begging for her to live. He had given her some of his power? She was surprised but grateful. Never had she seen this side of Sesshoumaru. Gone was the cold, emotionless demon lord and instead all that remained was a caring, pleading man. If a spirit could blush, she would have been a tomato from his sweet words and praise. He had called her beautiful!

"I will fight, Sesshoumaru, if you promise me that if I lose the fight you will do these things that I have asked of you."

"Agreed. I give you my word that if you do pass, I will fulfill your last wishes. Now, promise me miko that you will fight your hardest. Do not give up."

"I promise. You know, I think I underestimated you when we first met. There is more to you than meets the eye." Her voice was fading, as was she. He watched as she became more and more transparent until she was gone.

Sesshoumaru woke with a start, sitting straight up in bed. He felt something drip on his arm and he reached to his face. His cheeks were wet. He had been crying in his sleep for the miko, for Kagome. He had not shed tears since the death of his mother when he was but a pup. He still didn't know when she became so important to him but he no longer cared for the reasons. She was all that mattered right now, keeping her alive, returning her soul. That was the only thing that was important. He decided then to leave at dawn to hunt down the dark miko Kikyo. Time was of the essence.

With that decided he lay back down and attempted to regain sleep, but sleep refused to find him. Memories of his lips pressed against hers floated through his mind. They had been so soft but so cold. Words his mother spoke echoed in his ears, begging him not to close his heart as his father desired of him, begging him to trust that love would find him. He had refused to listen to her. How could he allow himself to be as vulnerable as she? His father ignored her, neglected her, cheated on her, and Sesshoumaru refused to allow someone to hurt him so. If he allowed himself to love someone then they could hurt him in a way that no other could. He would allow no one that power over him.

When he had told his mother such, she had cried for him. She told him then of a strange dream she had once had, one that had promised that he was destined for something great, that he would find love and it would be stronger than any other power that existed. But she feared that if he closed off his heart then he would miss his chance at that great love and that all would be lost. He could still hear her now, whispering through her tears, "She will come to you, Sesshoumaru. She will come and you will love her, no matter how you fight it. She will come and when she does, you will remember my words. You will remember and then you will know that I was right and you will cease to fight it. Even if you do not understand it, my son, I promise you that it is destined and this girl, this beautiful, powerful woman, she has been made for you as you were made for her, both of you molded by the Kamis, and over and over again she will surprise you. I promise you this, Sesshoumaru."

Could she have been right? He had never given her words much thought, convinced he would never love and never be loved. And yet here he was with her whispered words floating through his mind, swirling, repeating, just as she had said they would. Her words had come back to him after all this time. Was it possible that Kagome, a human miko, could be the one she spoke of? Now that he thought more about it, the girl had already surprised him numerous times with her strength, her loyalty, her kindness, his beasts near obsession with her, and also with his own unconscious and uncontrollable reactions to her.

Sesshoumaru lay in his bed tossing and turning, being the one thing he hated being more than anything, confused. The girl confused him, his mother confused him, his beast confused him, and hell, even he confused himself! Giving up on sleep he decided to check on the source of his inner turmoil.

He rose from his bed and exited his chamber, entering the room next door. The servant seemed surprised to see him but scurried out when he motioned her dismissal. After looking her over for a moment his shoulders slumped slightly and he gave in to the feelings twisting in his mind. The great lord lay himself down on the opposite side of the bed, sliding under the silk covers, and pulled the miko's body to him, her back to his chest. He buried his nose in her hair and breathed deeply. His confusion melted away, his thoughts quieted, and sleep found him immediately.


	8. Realizations and Fears

Chapter 8 – Realizations and Fears

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Inuyasha & co. belong to the illustrious Rumiko Takahashi. I do, however, own all my original characters and this plotline.**

**Chapter 8 – Realizations and Fears**

Sesshoumaru was awake with the sun, feeling more refreshed than he had ever been before. He nuzzled his face deeper into the hair of the human girl in his arms and breathed in her scent. It was still weak but the scent of strawberries and cream was there, stronger than it had been the night before. He listened to her heart beat and felt her chest rise and fall. It seems that his youki had done the trick. Her body was hanging on. He only hoped it was enough, that he could find Kikyo in time to save Kagome.

Perhaps his mother had been right. Somehow this human miko had slipped past all of his defenses and he wasn't willing to let her go. As he contemplated this he found that he had always been drawn to her. Her scent soothed his beast and he had sought it out repeatedly. Despite her humanity he found himself attracted to her and his beast agreed wholeheartedly. Never before in all his centuries had his beast been drawn to anyone. He pondered this as he soaked himself in her scent, hoping it would stay with him at least for a while once he left her side. Deep inside behind the locks and chains his beast purred like a kitten. He knew, even if his master still did not, that this girl was it. He would have her, claim her, possess her, and keep her. She had been made for him. Sesshoumaru had always refused to listen to the voice of his beast, just as he had ignored his mother but now, feeling the beast's calm state, maybe he should have. He had tried to kill this girl. He shuddered at the though of him succeeding.

'_Father must be laughing at me right now. If only he could see me, holding a human in my arms, contemplating her importance to this Sesshoumaru, savoring her scent like a pup. Yes, he is sure to be laughing. How did this happen? How could this Sesshoumaru be drawn to a human?'_

'It's easy. We are drawn to her because she is ours. She was made for us alone. Who cares what Father might think? Mother was right. You will see.'

'_Silence. Now is not the time for such silly thoughts. Now is the time to locate the dark miko and return her to her grave.'_

His beast purred his agreement. 'Yes, the bitch must pay for her attack on our pups. She must die so our miko may live.'

'_Our miko?'_ Sesshoumaru shook the thoughts from his mind and rose, albeit regretfully, from the bed. Now was not the time for such thoughts. Even if he were to decide that he did have an interest in the miko and allowed himself to pursue it, he was fairly certain that she would refuse him. She was, after all, in love with his half brother. That thought caused a wave of jealousy to rise as a possessive snarl broke free. Despite all her forgiveness, the miko could never love a being such as him. Had his mother been wrong after all; had she been right, and his own actions had ensured that her words would not come true? Was it possible that Kagome was in fact made for him and he'd ruined his only chance for true happiness and love? He sighed softly before he decided not to think on it any more. He dressed and donned his armor and swords. He stopped to check in on his pups, which were all still unconscious, before he went down to the dining hall where he saw Rin seated at the table, awaiting her breakfast.

"Rin, I must go. I have something of importance that needs to be done. You will remain here with Jaken. You are not to disturb the pups or the miko. They need their rest."

Rin looked sad at the thought of her lord leaving her behind but she nodded her agreement. "Yes Lord Sesshoumaru. Please come back soon!" She grinned brightly before rising and running over to give his legs a tight but quick hug. He patted her head and turned, exiting the room. Rin returned to her seat and began devouring her meal.

He located a servant in the hall, directing them on the care of the miko in his absence. Then, taking to the skies, he started his search for his prey.

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Kikyo finally arrived at Naraku's hidden fortress. She went immediately to speak with him about the demon lord's attack. Naraku's expression was unreadable. He called for Kanna and demanded that she show him Lord Sesshoumaru. The mirror swirled for a moment before clearing to show Sesshoumaru flying over his land. He did not appear to be in a hurry; instead seemed to be out on his routine patrols which Naraku had watched many times. Now he was confused. Why was he not at the bedside of his dying pups? Was he so callous as to not be bothered by their impending deaths?

Naraku now ordered Kanna to show him the pups. The mirror swirled and swirled but it did not clear. "It seems that he has erected a barrier around his palace. I cannot see anywhere within." Kanna's voice was quiet and completely free of any emotion but that was okay because Naraku had enough anger for the both of them.

Indeed, Sesshoumaru had once again successfully spoiled Naraku's fun, this time without even trying. He had erected a barrier covering the entire palace grounds that would allow only his entry and exit. Naraku would not get a second chance at his pups; and Kagome was too weak to put up any defense if Naraku were to find her there. He knew her importance. She was the Shikon Miko, after all. She would be the one to eventually defeat Naraku and purify the jewel of his evil influence. This knowledge just added to his determination to save her. If she were to die then Naraku's darkness would never come to an end.

Naraku was absolutely livid. How dare he block his vision? He wanted so much to watch the final act of the show, to see each pup die one by one. He needed something to take his anger out on. He now called for Kanna to show him Inuyasha. He was the evil hanyou's favorite punching bag. He loved to cause the inu-hanyou pain, be it mental or physical. Looking into the mirror he laughed aloud. Inuyasha was down on all fours, his nose pressed to the ground, desperately searching for a scent. An idea was forming in that deviant mind of his.

"Kikyo, I have another task for you. I want you to return to Inuyasha and beg him to protect you from Sesshoumaru. Tell him that Sesshoumaru is after you because he caught you in his lands in a human village, healing those who had been attacked by his guards. Make it good. Maybe then Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru can kill each other for me, saving me the trouble. If I can't watch the show I want then I should at least get a good replacement, ne?" He chuckled darkly as he continued to watch the dog demon search, apparently unsuccessfully, for a scent.

"Yes, Lord Naraku." Kikyo wasn't too fond of this new idea of his but she had to do as ordered or he would not restore her life. She only hoped than Inuyasha would be strong enough to keep her from his brother's wrath. She smiled then. Inuyasha would fight to the death to save her. He felt guilty for her original demise. He would not allow it to be repeated.

"Kikyo…" Naraku called to her as she began to depart. "Before you go…" Kikyo held back her sigh. She knew what Naraku wanted of her. It was times like these that she was glad she had little feeling in her body as she had given it over to Naraku willingly to cement their agreement. He was now her mate and she had no choice but to allow him.

She turned back to him, putting on her best impression of a sexy smirk. "Yes Naraku, whatever you wish."

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Rin was bored. Jaken was no fun. She had gotten used to running and playing with her Lord's sons, as well as attending daily lessons, but lessons had been postponed and she had no one to play with. After quite a bit of whining and pleading, she had managed to drag Jaken out to the gardens with her so she could run in the fresh air and pick flowers.

"Jaken, do you think that Kagome will be alright?" Rin was worried about Kagome. She had spent some time with her in the past, during her Lord's fights with his brother; Kagome had even saved her a few times when Sesshoumaru had not been around.

"Why would I care?" Jaken grumbled. That human miko had caused him too much trouble already. Her arrival had sent him sailing through the palace halls until he met up with a very solid wall. And then later his Lord had stepped on him! He was just trying to protect the reputation of his Lord and make sure his servants were kept in line. What was his Lord thinking? Why would he allow the miko to remain after her job was complete? Why did he have to pick **that** miko anyway? And why, oh why, would his Lord put her in **that** room? That room had been off limits for hundreds of years now with the Lord himself being the only one to enter it. Jaken was confused and his little toady brain was on overload.

"Jaken should care! Rin thinks that Lord Sesshoumaru likes Lady Kagome! Wouldn't that be wonderful? Then maybe she would be Rin's new Mama!"

Jaken sputtered in shock. His Lord? Like a human, let alone a human miko? **Never**! "Rin, don't be so stupid. Lord Sesshoumaru would never care for a human wench, let alone his bastard half-brother's miko wench. Bite your tongue girl!"

"Rin thinks that Jaken is wrong and that Jaken is mean! I'm gonna tell Lord Sesshoumaru on you!"

If possible, Jaken's eyes widened even more. She wouldn't dare, would she? Of course she would! And his Lord would believe her too! He always took the human child's side, much to his loyal retainer's dismay. "Ther…there…will be no need…for that now Rin," Jaken stuttered out.

"Fine, I won't tell, but only if Jaken will help Rin pick flowers to put in Lady Kagome's room!" Jaken sighed in defeat and nodded, following after the girl as she picked the flowers she thought most beautiful for Kagome.

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Morning came and went in Kaede's hut with no Kagome or Inuyasha. After much discussion and excessive pleading on Shippo's part the group finally came to an agreement.

"Alright, so we will stay here for one more day; if neither Kagome nor Inuyasha have returned, we will go and look for them," Sango said, her worry shown clearly on her face.

"Yes, dear Sango. If we can locate Inuyasha then he can go through the well and see if Kagome is there safe and merely delayed."

"But why can't we go now?" Shippo's voice was mostly a whine. "Something is wrong with her. I know it! She's in trouble somewhere!"

"Now, now, Shippo. Ye know no such thing. It would be best for ye all to remain positive. I am sure that Kagome will be fine and return to us safely." Kaede did her best to calm the fears of the kit but Miroku looked at her oddly.

"Lady Kaede, how is it that you are so sure that Kagome is well? Is there something you aren't telling us?" Miroku was sure that something more was going on. Ever since Kagome had not arrived, Kaede had not seemed the slightest bit concerned but he knew that the old woman cared about their friend as if she were family. Why would she not be worried as well?

"There is nothing for this old woman to tell you at this time," Kaede turned as she spoke, hiding her small smile. "Now, I must go tend to some of the villagers who have taken ill. Would you care to assist me, Sango? Mayhaps, it would do you well to focus on something other than your worries." Sango nodded and followed after the elder miko.

Miroku was certain now that Kaede knew more than she was saying, but he didn't know what or how to get her to share her knowledge. After thinking on it for a few moments, he decided his time would be better spent dealing with the distraught kitsune and settled for doing his best to distract Shippo.

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While the shard hunters made their final decision; Kikyo was making her way through the forest in the direction of Inuyasha, finally having been released by Naraku. She was not necessarily looking forward to seeing him again so soon. He was too affectionate for her liking, as she only wished for his death and had no interest in his love. She had to keep playing along though. She was still a bit sore about her failure to seduce the inu hanyou. She had been looking forward to seeing the look on her copy's face when she found out that Inuyasha had mated her and not Kagome. Despite the setback, she was determined and would eventually get her way. Her revenge on Inuyasha and Naraku; and her complete soul from the pathetic girl who was so weak it was hard to believe her to truly be her reincarnation.

She traveled on the ground this time, hoping that it would help Inuyasha catch her scent and bring him to her. This would save her the time and trouble of looking for the annoying mutt, hopefully moving things along. She still found herself wary of being present for Sesshoumaru's wrath after the death of his pups with only her devoted hanyou to protect her. Naraku was putting her out there like a sitting duck and she did not appreciate it.

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As night passed and a new day dawned; the group of shard hunters, minus two important members, climbed upon a transformed Kirara and took to the skies. Miroku had tried once again to get any information possible from Kaede but she only insisted she had none to give. The whole thing was odd. Inuyasha never stayed away when Kagome was set to return. Usually he was at the well waiting hours early, pacing impatiently while complaining about the girl and her school. Half of the time he went to get her early. Why had he not returned to the village? Had something happened to him? And Kagome too was a puzzle. If she had simply been delayed for some reason, perhaps an important test, then she would have come and let them know not to worry, wouldn't she? She always had in the past, even though she knew she would have to deal with an aggravated hanyou when she did.

Shippo had barely slept and had refused to eat that morning which had them all worried. Sango didn't look so great either. The worry and fear of losing another she cared about had kept her up half the night, compulsively polishing her Hiraikotsu. Miroku had settled for meditating, sleep eluding him as well. And now they were off in search of their missing friends with no clues as to where to look. They didn't even know what direction to start, so they decided to go the way they had seen Inuyasha heading the last time they had seen him.

They flew over the trees searching the entire day only taking short breaks for foods and water and to let Kirara rest. Even using Kirara's demon nose, no trace of either of their missing companions was found. There was little talking amongst them and Miroku's hand had failed to wander even once. Thankfully their search was not interrupted by any demons and they hoped that little bit of luck would hold. They eventually made camp for the night, even more depressed and worried than when they had started.

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Sesshoumaru searched through the night. He didn't have time to waste. He had caught the scent of his brother once, but the vile scent of death had not been with him so he did not investigate further. He did not want to see the half-breed if he didn't have to. Little did he know, Inuyasha was searching through the night as well. They were both searching for Kikyo, but for very different reasons.

Come dawn, Inuyasha had caught a whiff of the scent he was searching for. He took off at a high speed in the direction he smelled her. Finally she came into view. Kikyo was walking towards him, looking exhausted and weak. She dropped to her knees as he approached. He caught her in her arms before she fell completely to the ground.

"Kikyo! Kikyo, can you hear me? Are you okay? What happened to you?" He held her tightly to his chest and shook her slightly.

"Inu… Inu…yasha….is that you?" Kikyo groaned in mock pain. "Thank…Kami I… found you. He's… he's after me."

"Who's after you, Kikyo? Is it Naraku? Don't worry. I'll protect you. I swear it." He was looking around, nose in the air trying to search out any danger, causing him to miss her smirk.

"L..Lord… Lord Sesshoumaru. He wants to kill me. I was in his lands, helping the injured in a village near his palace. The villagers had been attacked by his guards and I… I healed them. He took it as a slight against him and has hunted me since. Please Inuyasha, don't let him get me. I am not ready to die again." She added extra emphasis on the again, just to rub a little more salt in the gaping wound that once was his pride.

"Don't worry, Kikyo. I will protect you. My bastard brother will not hurt you."

"Thank you. Thank you Inuyasha! I knew I could count on you!" Inuyasha growled to himself. _'How dare that bastard try to hurt my Kikyo? I won't let him. I'll kill him for this. Then I'll finally be rid of him for good!' _Inuyasha then picked up the weak Kikyo and held her limp body against his chest as he searched for a safe place to allow her to rest and recover.


	9. Some Secrets Kept, Some Truths Revealed

Chapter 9 – Some Secrets Kept, Some Truths Revealed

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Inuyasha & co. belong to the illustrious Rumiko Takahashi. I do, however, own all my original characters and this plotline.**

**Chapter 9 – Some Secrets Kept, Some Truths Revealed **

Several days had passed and they were becoming more and more worried. They stopped at every village they came across to ask if they had seen anyone matching the descriptions of Kagome or Inuyasha, but with no luck. Kirara had yet to catch the scent of either. Each night brought them more and more worry for their missing friends. Where could they possibly be? What had happened to them? Were they even still alive? They were trying their best to stay positive as Kaede had recommended, but it was getting harder and harder to do. Despair was settling in on them.

Shippo could not sleep and looked quite ragged. When he did manage to fall asleep, he awoke screaming for Kagome. Miroku and Sango were fairly surprised the first time he woke crying for Mama, but then they had been expecting it for some time now. Shippo refused to eat anything and the monk and slayer were quite worried about the kit. He was looking much to thin with bags under his eyes, his eyes red from the never ending flood of tears. What would Kagome think if she were to see the condition they allowed her kit to decline into?

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Sesshoumaru had been searching nonstop, but he had yet to sense a hint of his prey. He had discovered something interesting along the way though. It seems that sharing his youki with Kagome had formed a connection between them. The dream they shared was not a one time occurrence. Every now and then he could communicate with Kagome inside his mind. She had faith in him and her constant optimism kept him going. She told him many stories about her adventures with his brother and her friends. He found he could even experience the memories from her point of view if she chose to show him. He had never heard of anything like it before but then powerful demons don't usually go around sharing their youki with humans.

She had shown him when she had released his brother from his imprisonment on the God Tree, as well as how she had met each one of her companions and friends. The knowledge that each had attacked, kidnapped, or tricked her before they had become friends gave him a bit more hope for himself. If she could forgive them all then maybe she could forgive him too. He now understood the connection the boy who had kidnapped and nearly killed Rin had to her group. He found himself actually feeling compassion for the slayer and her brother. Compassion was a fairly new idea for him but he brushed it off; blaming the feeling on the connection with Kagome, who in his opinion had more compassion than anyone. He knew of the monk's curse as well as his wandering hand. The fact that he had touched Kagome multiple times riled his beast. He knew what had happened to the kit's parents and why he traveled with their group. He now had a much greater understanding of Naraku's evil. She had told him of how his brother and Kikyo had been tricked and how Kikyo had been brought back to life.

He had seen many times how Kagome had been hurt by his brother's words and actions, his disregard for her feelings. He saw how he yelled at her, called her useless, and much more. He had also experienced first hand the everyday pain the strong young woman had lived with for nearly two years and he could feel his resentment for his brother growing stronger the more he learned.

A few things confused him though. She never showed him her home or her family. He had no idea where she came from but he knew it was not the village he had found her near. He understood that she was the reincarnation of Kikyo, but Kikyo had died only fifty-two years ago. He had been taught that reincarnation took centuries, so how was it possible? And why was the girl so different from every human he had ever met? Where did she get her odd clothes? Why did she have such an odd manner of speaking? She often used phrases he didn't quite grasp. And how was it that she was so educated? Women, even nobles, were not educated anywhere near as extensively as this girl was. She had also never mentioned a single day before the day she met his brother. He had tried to question her about these oddities but she refused to answer, saying that everyone had to have some secrets.

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Inuyasha had managed to locate a fairly well protected area to allow Kikyo to rest. They were backed up to the corner of a cliff wall so that they were protected by solid rock on two sides. It was too high, too steep for anyone to attack from above. One of the two other sides was bordered with a small pool that was fed through cracks in the rock face. The only open side was covered heavily by large trees, close together, and thick brush with only a small open path that could be used to approach. Inuyasha had made camp there, lighting a fire and sitting with Kikyo. They had been there resting for a few days now. While he could find no injuries on her, Kikyo still seemed weak and tired so he insisted they stay in one place instead of moving about. Plus, he figured their camp was easily defendable and nearly impossible to sneak up on so it was safer to stay there, just in case his brother showed up.

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Meanwhile, back at the palace the servants were unsure of what to do. The day before, the oldest and strongest of Sesshoumaru's sons had awakened. The servants were filled with joy that the boy was now healthy and safe. Before they could get him to say or do anything though, he stood and walked directly to Kagome's room. The servants tried to stop him, but he pushed through as if he couldn't even hear them. As soon as he reached her, his teardrop mark flared brightly and he transformed into his true form. He climbed onto the bed and curled up against her. A few hours later, the second born awoke and repeated his brothers actions. By this morning all of the pups were curled around her body. The servants, even Jaken could not get the pups to respond and if they attempted to move them away from her, the pups all growled dangerously at the intruder until they retreated. Then the pups relaxed again.

The healers had continued to check on Kagome every few hours and had found that her breathing and heart beat were still strong. Their Lord's youki had apparently been enough to keep her alive. They were surprised though to feel the strength of the demon energy in her aura. Their Lord had given her far more than they had expected, far more than her human body should have been able to hold, and yet it showed no problems. Once she had been joined by the pups, the healers had to maintain their distance. It seemed that the pups would allow no one near the girl.

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Sesshoumaru's attention was finally captured. He had once again caught the scent of his brother but this time he smelled the scent of death and graveyard soil as well. He raced off in the direction of the scent. Finally he had his chance to return Kagome's soul to her so that she could recover. He could get his own revenge on the bitch for cursing his pups as well; he wouldn't mind the added benefit of causing his brother some well deserved pain.

Inuyasha stiffened and let out a growl. "Sesshoumaru." Kikyo immediately moved behind the hanyou. The plan was to allow the brothers to kill each other and she didn't want to end up in the middle.

The demon Lord walked straight into their camp following the open path. He made no attempt to hide himself as he approached. "Why, hello Inuyasha. How delightful it is to see you," Sesshoumaru stated in his coldest, most sarcastic tone. "And Kikyo, you are just the walking undead miko I have been searching for. It is time now miko for you to leave this world once again."

"I won't let you hurt her, Sesshoumaru! She didn't do anything to you!"

"Oh, are you so sure little brother? Perhaps I will educate you in the actions of your beloved miko. You are such a fool, my dear brother. Allow me to open your eyes!" Sesshoumaru leapt at Inuyasha so fast that he seemed to disappear and then reappear in front of the hanyou. He slashed at his chest but Inuyasha leapt back just in time so he was only barely scratched. He pushed off the rock wall back towards his brother, intent on protecting Kikyo from him no matter what it took. The two slashed at each other several times, leaving Inuyasha with some deep gashes, while he had yet to draw blood on his elder brother. Kikyo stood still at the corner of the rock face, trying to draw as little attention to her as possible.

Inuyasha pulled the Tetsusaiga, determined to finally end things with his brother. Going after Kikyo was the last straw. He raised the sword and yelled "Windscar!" Sesshoumaru barely evaded the blast, landing behind Inuyasha.

"See for yourself, Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru reached out his hand and laid it on his brother's forehead before the hanyou had a chance to move. He held tight so Inuyasha could not squirm away. As he dug his claws deep into the scalp he willed Kagome to lend him the vision of Naraku and Kikyo with his pups. Suddenly Inuyasha dropped to his knees as he experienced the same vision as Kagome had days before, feeling the same pain, the pain of the pups, and knowing the treachery of his beloved Kikyo.

"It can't be true. It can't be." Inuyasha looked to Kikyo, who greatly resembled a deer frozen in the path of an approaching wolf. "Kikyo would never hurt children, even demon children, right Kikyo? Right?" For some reason he was unsure. He could feel the honesty of the vision, the truth behind it. He could see the fear in her eyes at the mention of children and felt his heart sink. She had done it. She really was in league with Naraku. He had even watched Kikyo moan at Naraku's kisses. "Kill her. I can't do it. Please, Sesshoumaru. Kill her," Inuyasha begged with his voice full of pain and betrayal.

Sesshoumaru looked at the now quaking miko. A smirk formed on his face as he slowly approached. Kikyo tried to run but she only made it two steps before he had her by the throat, her back pressed against the cliff wall. "Your time is up. You will no longer live off of the souls of others. Your treachery ends now." He tightened his grip slowly, enjoying the pain in her eyes. This woman had caused his Kagome pain; she had tried to kill her time and again. He could feel his beast fighting to the surface; he allowed it to rise to join him in consciousness, to enjoy this moment. Together they tightened their hand around her throat until a snap was heard. He dropped her still body to the ground, watching it shatter like porcelain dropped on stone. Bright balls of light rose to the sky until finally the largest orb rose slowly. It circled around him and his brother before rising up and shooting out of sight in the direction of his palace and Kagome.

Inuyasha couldn't look up. He knew she was dead, again. He then felt soothing warmth surround him and heard a voice softly whisper his name. "Kagome," he whispered in response. He looked up to see the remaining piece of Kagome's soul rise up and fly away.

"Inuyasha, there is something else you must know."

"What is it, damn it Sesshoumaru? I'm not really in the mood to play right now."

"Neither am I, brother. I have completed my task. Now I wish to share one more thing with you." Sesshoumaru had been angered by many of the things he had seen from Kagome's mind, every time Kikyo attacked her, either physically or verbally, the pain Kagome experienced daily because of her incomplete soul, the danger she had been placed in repeatedly when Inuyasha would abandon her to go to the dead miko, and every cruel word he had ever said while comparing her to Kikyo. Now he combined all the experiences and all the pain into one vision and touched his brother's head once more, this time gently. The vision would be painful enough on its own. Inuyasha's body stiffened and dropped to the ground and Sesshoumaru simply turned and walked away.

Inuyasha was overwhelmed. He couldn't move at all. The things that flashed before his eyes broke his heart. He saw every time Kikyo attacked Kagome and he refused to believe her. He saw all the times he endangered her life because of his selfishness. He felt her heart breaking every time he compared her to Kikyo or said that Kikyo was better at anything and everything. Finally he was overwhelmed by the final sight. He saw Kagome sitting with Miroku in tears trying to meditate through excruciating pain. He had no idea that Kagome had been in pain all this time because of Kikyo. She had never said a word, never complained. He never saw her cry about it. He felt all of the pain she had experienced over nearly two years all at once and he writhed in absolute agony. He felt tears pour down his face. When the pain finally passed he did not bother moving. He had never been so disgusted with himself in his whole life.

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Night had fallen on their search once again; the exhausted group landed in a forest clearing and silently made camp. Miroku gathered wood and started a fire. Sango pulled out some of the provisions Kaede had given them for their journey and prepared it to eat. Kirara had fallen asleep almost as soon as her feet touched the ground. Shippo just sat staring into the woods with an empty look in his eyes. Once again he refused to eat and didn't bother trying to sleep. He would not even look at them or speak to them. He was too depressed to do anything but stare off into the darkness. He had lost all hope.

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Sesshoumaru arrived at the palace in record time. He rushed to Kagome's room, ignoring the servants trying to capture his attention, and was greeted with an interesting sight. There Kagome lay, surrounded by the white fur of his pups in their true forms. He had hoped that she would be awake when he arrived but he could hear her heart beat strongly and her scent filled the room, once again laced with the scent of her power. That was enough for now. He approached the bed, shedding his armor and swords along the way; he shifted the pups around her so that he could lie at her side. They allowed themselves to be moved by him and once he lay down and pulled her to his chest, every one settled and fell asleep.


	10. Reunited and Secret Gifts

Chapter 10 – Reunited and Secret Gifts

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Inuyasha & co. belong to the illustrious Rumiko Takahashi. I do, however, own all my original characters and this plotline.**

**Chapter 10 – Reunited and Secret Gifts**

As the sun rose over head, Inuyasha managed to drag himself out of his self pity and stand. He finally realized that he had forgotten all about Kagome, all about everyone but Kikyo. The things Sesshoumaru had shown him changed everything. He had to make it up to her. Kikyo had not only caused Kagome mental pain through her constant taunts and put downs, but had also attacked her multiple times and Inuyasha had not believed Kagome once. He'd basically agreed with every mean thing Kikyo had ever said to the girl, all without ever thinking about how she might feel. On top of that, the fact that Kagome had suffered through agonizing pain ever since Kikyo had been reanimated made Inuyasha feel lower than dirt.He knew why she had kept the pain a secret from him. He knew that Kagome loved him enough to allow him to be with someone else, as long as it made him happy; which was why she never tried to make him choose. She suffered with the pain so Kikyo could remain alive; all for him. He was a horrible friend. He didn't even deserve to be called her friend. He deserved for her to 'sit' him until he could no longer climb out of the hole. Never once did it dawn on Inuyasha to wonder how his brother had access to Kagome's experiences or why he had cared to share them.

He eventually gave up on berating himself and took off in the direction of the village. He hoped that nothing had happened to her or the others in his absence. She was set to return days ago, a whole week really. He felt guilty. She was sure to be worried about him. He raced through the trees as fast as possible and was surprised when he caught the scent of his group; or rather most of his group, far from the village where he had expected to find them. The sweet scent of strawberries and cream was missing and instead there was the scent of the kits misery and tears. "Where is Kagome?"

Miroku and Sango were once again trying to convince the kit to eat something. They refused to continue looking until he did so, hoping that his desire to find Kagome would make him give in and finally eat. They all jumped a few feet into the air when their red-clad hanyou friend landed in the middle of their camp.

"Where is she? Where is Kagome?" Inuyasha sounded desperate which made the others even more worried.

"We do not know, Inuyasha. She did not return to the village. We awaited her at the well but she never arrived. We waited two days before we decided to come looking for you in hopes that you could go through the well and check on her well-being." Miroku sounded calm but the look in his eyes clearly displayed his concern for the miko.

"Where have you been, Inuyasha?" Sango nearly yelled at the half-demon in front of her. "You said you would be back before Kagome and it has been a week since she should have returned."

Inuyasha looked guilty for a moment before he relayed the story of his last few days, starting with Sesshoumaru's first attack on Kikyo and ending with her death days later. He did however choose to leave out the special parting gift Sesshoumaru had left him with. After his tale was relayed the group decided to return to Inuyasha's Forest so that the hanyou could travel through the well to Kagome's time and make sure she was okay. Inuyasha even managed to convince Shippo to eat a little. He tried to reassure the kit that Kagome was fine and she must have been held up for some reason. She could even be waiting for them at the village right now. Although Shippo really didn't buy it, the little glimmer of hope was better than none. They decided to start back immediately. The sooner they knew the situation, the better.

Along the way Miroku found himself in deep thought. Inuyasha had told them of the vision Sesshoumaru had shown him about Kikyo and Naraku. How did Sesshoumaru do it? How had he seen the event himself? Surely if he had been present he would have stopped it, which meant the vision had come to him sometime after, but how? He was pretty sure that the demon lord did not have mental powers before, but then again, none of them really knew too much about him. Still, something about the whole situation bothered him. It was clear as to why Sesshoumaru desired Kikyo's death, as she had attacked what apparently were his pups. That was another thing. None of them had even known that he had taken a mate, let alone had pups. According to Inuyasha there were quite a few, but he wasn't sure how many. Apparently there was more to the great demon lord than any of them had seen.

As they flew on, Miroku went over every incident he could remember involving the demon Lord of the West in his mind, trying to discover any insight into the odd occurrence Inuyasha had told them of. He was still deep in thought when Kirara tilted a bit more downward, causing him to slide closer to Sango. The feel of her back against his chest caused a shift in his line of thought. Sesshoumaru was no longer forefront in his mind. Instead he found himself imagining Sango pressed against him in a similar fashion but with a lot less clothing, and preferably on the ground, but that wasn't a deal breaker.

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Naraku was throwing an absolute hissy fit. Kanna had shown him Kikyo's fate and Naraku wasn't taking it very well. He had finally had Kikyo in his grasp after over fifty years of scheming and now she was gone. They would pay for this. He had barely even had a chance to enjoy her. He did at least relish in the fact that Sesshoumaru's pups were now surely dead, so at least she had been somewhat useful during her time with him. Still, no one wanted to be in the presence of the once human hanyou, at least not unless they enjoyed pain. He was yelling and throwing things, sending tentacles crashing through walls. It would not be long before the dilapidated castle they were currently hiding out in completely disintegrated under his childish attack.

Kagura had left the area shortly after the temper tantrum had begun, floating away on her large white feather, hiding her smirk behind her fan. She loved it when his plans backfired. She decided to use the time to herself to fly high, communing with the wind and feeling for a short while the freedom she desired. If only she could find a way to kill Naraku. Perhaps now that Naraku had directly attacked Sesshoumaru's pack, killing his pups, the demon Lord would be more willing to listen to her and help her defeat the evil creature that held her heart. While flying high over the land she spotted some familiar targets and decided to have a little fun. She flew down low, staying silent and manipulating the wind to carry her scent away from the group she now followed.

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Sesshoumaru woke once again to the most enticing scent he had ever experienced. He buried his nose deeper into her hair, lightly nuzzling her neck and breathing her in deeply, his body responding to her delicious scent and the warmth and closeness of her tempting form. The scent of strawberries and cream was strong, but back now was the scent of purity and power. She was recovering her strength and he was sure she would soon be ready to leave him. The thought did not sit well with him. His brother could not be trusted with her care. He had let harm come to her too many times. The thought of her leaving him to be with his brother worked as effectively as a cold bath would, if not better, to squash his desire.

While trying to decide what to do, if there was anything he could do, Sesshoumaru carefully rolled the miko on her back and went to press his lips to hers once again, this time to remove his youki from her. She no longer needed it and he was surprised that she had not purified it from her body simply on instinct. He hesitated for a moment, gazing at her closed eyes, her long dark lashes laid gently over her cheeks. She looked so peaceful. Inside he could feel his beast purr, content to be in her presence, drowning in her scent. So was he, to be honest, but he knew it couldn't last. With a small sigh he leaned in the last few inches and kissed her. This time her lips were warm. He closed his eyes, savoring the feeling. He could feel his power flowing out of her but it stopped before all of it returned. He tried again but the small bit of youki remaining would not return to him. He was perplexed but decided to dwell on it later. He didn't really need that little bit anyways. He allowed a smile to cross his face at the sight of a literal dog pile around the miko. It seems his pups had become attached to the miko, even though they have never been conscious in each others presence.

An idea suddenly occurred to him and he rose from the bed to go see to arranging the details. He would ensure the girl was safe and protected, even if he could not be the one to protect her.

After their father had left the room, the pups began to stir. Slowly they shifted back to their humanoid forms and looked over the girl. They knew what had happened, what this human had done for them. They had heard the servants' whispers, and could feel the difference themselves. They quietly whispered to each other about her, all the while standing guard over her. They had been surprised when their father had come into the room last night and snuggled up to the miko, but it also had been somewhat expected. They had noticed that their father had been distracted at times when he was home with them and they listened to tales of their travels from Rin and Jaken, so they knew of the many times their father had approached her group. They had decided a while ago that he did in fact have an interest in the girl, despite their never having seen her before now.

They could all feel their new strength and power. It wasn't fair really. She had given them such a great gift and they had nothing they could do for her in return. She was a human woman, frail and breakable, and she was too beautiful of a soul to be lost to the world. They eventually came to a consensus. This woman had done what only a true mother would have and risked her entire existence for them, and she had never even met them. They never had a mother and what she had done for them was something they had never expected. They wanted to keep her. They would make her pack, family under their protection. They would give her a gift similar to that given to them and would do so immediately. Once it was done, it could not be undone and they would let no one stop them from thanking their savior.

The eldest boy decided to start. Yoshikazu uncovered her slightly to find her wearing a long white sleeping gown which was thankfully sleeveless. He held onto her left arm and using a claw, cut a thin line starting on the inner arm and curving around to the outer arm at a slight downward slope. He then cut open the tip of his thumb and traced over the line, mixing their blood. As his thumb passed the cut healed and was replaced by a magenta line, the same as their markings, about half an inch thick along the path of the cut. The second, Shinji repeated the actions of his twin, slightly lower so there was a half inch gap between the magenta markings. Each pup followed, one by one blending their blood with that of their savior, forever giving her a part of them just as she had given them each a part of herself. The youngest two Yuudai and Isamu had to be assisted to ensure their lines were straight. When they were finished Kagome was left with a striped area on her upper arm, about seven inches in height. It was actually quite pretty, resembling a tribal tattoo.

Once they had completed their task they decided that they were hungry. It had been several days since they had eaten, over a week. The older twins accompanied the younger twins to the dining hall while the triplets Hisoka, Hitoshi, and Akihiro remained by Kagome's side. They once again transformed into their true forms and curled around her. They would rest until their brothers returned and then they would go and eat.

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Kagura had followed closely, listening as the group spoke. She had been quite surprised to discover that the miko who usually traveled with them, the one who could purify her winds, was missing. They had apparently lost her over a week ago, and had been searching since. Or rather, the monk, slayer, fire cat, and kit had been searching. They all seemed rather angry at the hanyou, who had been missing from their group as well and had only returned that morning. Kagura knew where he had been and apparently so did they, because the slayer both looked and sounded as if she wanted to cause Inuyasha some serious damage.

She found herself wondering where the miko had disappeared to. This was interesting news and would surely be appreciated by Naraku. Now that he had lost Kikyo she was fairly certain his interest would turn to her reincarnation. Having decided to share her newly found knowledge, she turned her feather around and raced back to the hidden 'abandoned' castle where her master resided, riding high on the wind.

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Sesshoumaru was seated at his desk which was absolutely covered in paperwork. He had always been one to see to things immediately so his absence had caused a bit of a back up. He sat and stared for a moment at all the messages he would have to read through, most of which he was sure were pointless as always. Then he swept them all to the side and cleared a space for writing. He quickly wrote his message and handed it to the messenger who was already waiting. Once that task was finished and the messenger was out of sight, he rested his head on his arm in a rather undignified manner and let out a long sigh.

He really didn't want her to go but she would be waking soon and then she would want to return to his brother. He felt the jealousy rise up and burn in his chest for a minute before he forced it back down where it belonged. He didn't understand how it was that the girl could be so loyal to one that had hurt her repeatedly. She held his brother on a pedestal, which he felt was truly undeserved. Just once he wanted to have something that his brother did not. He knew it was childish and petty but Inuyasha had his fathers love, he had his mother, at least for longer than himself, he had the Tetsusaiga, and he had the complete and utter love and devotion of the girl that Sesshoumaru was now finally admitting to himself that he wanted.

Finally, after much back and forth with his beast, having decided to stop blocking him completely, they came to the agreement that despite her being human she was perfect for them. He no longer cared that she was human for she seemed so much more. She was strong, perhaps the strongest miko ever known since Midoriko herself, if not more so. She was beautiful. He had never seen eyes so deep and blue in a human. All the humans that he had ever seen had brown eyes. Even Kikyo, the girls incarnate, had brown eyes. No, she was special somehow, even more than just being the Shikon Miko.

There had always been something about her that called to him. Maybe it had something to do with her scent. Her scent brought up his instincts. Instincts, he knew, were nothing to snub your nose at. His father had once told him that a male would know its true mate by scent alone. If he had not completely ignored his beast for so long or if he had heeded his mother's words, he would have known that she was meant to be his mate from the start. Then maybe he would have done things a bit differently, but then, maybe not. He had held an unbendable hatred of humans when he first met her. This had changed bit by bit as he observed her strength and loyalty. Grudgingly he had admitted that she had earned his respect. After that, the real interest started. He had found himself following her group to learn more. When he tried to avoid them he found himself unable to rest. He felt almost physical pain if he did not enjoy her scent at least once a week. This near obsession had led him to challenge his brother on numerous occasions with the hope of getting a closer look at the girl. This had, in fact, nearly killed him when he had been so distracted he failed to get out of the way of the Windscar. That was the first time that he had seen some worth in the sword he had been left by his father. The Tenseiga had saved his life by transporting him away before he was killed.

Flashback

He groaned softly in pain. He could not remember feeling pain like this ever before. The closest he could recall would be the loss of his arm, but this, no this was far worse. His whole body screamed in agony.

'_How did I get here? What happened to me?'_

His beast howled inside of him. 'You allowed our brother to hit us with the Windscar! Now what will she think of us? She will find us weak, to have been defeated by the half-breed.'

'_The Windscar? How do I live then? And I care not for what a mere human wench thinks of this Sesshoumaru.'_

'Yeah? Well, **this** Sesshoumaru does. After all, she is the one meant to…'

'_Silence! I will not listen to such foolishness. She is nothing but a filthy human and my brothers wench on top of that! Now tell me, how did I survive the Windscar?'_

'Fine, I'll stop for now, but you will see eventually and by then it will be too late. You will have ruined any and all chances for…'

Sesshoumaru let out a vicious snarl.

'Okay, okay. Tenseiga transported us away before we were killed.'

'_Curious.'_

While he had been lying against the base of a tree fighting internally, he had failed to notice the small girl approaching. A twig snapped and his head snapped up, eyes still blood red and markings jagged. The small girl did not flinch at the sight of him and once he saw her he immediately calmed, though he was unsure why. She approached slowly and placed a small container of water and some human food near his feet. He looked away, intent on ignoring her. He would have killed the girl for her insolence but there was something about her. After she left the area he allowed himself to think on the girl. She held no fear of him, just like another human girl with impossibly black hair and eyes full of emotion. Though this girl's eyes were brown, they held the same shape and her smile was the same, wide, bright, and true. That must be why he could not kill the girl, had no desire to. It was because she so closely resembled that girl, his brother's miko wench.

Several days passed as he recovered from his most serious injuries. Each day she returned and he had studied her closely. Once he had told her she was wasting her time as he did not eat human food, but she only giggled at him and went on her way. He had noticed that she was dirty, unkempt, skinny to an unhealthy degree, and covered with scrapes and bruises. He cursed the family of such a spirited and brave child; that they would care for her so poorly. The next time she had come, she was even worse in appearance. Her lip was cut and her left eye was swollen shut. He inquired as to who had injured her but she did not speak. He had been even angrier at her family then for abusing the poor girl in such a way. He had been tempted to teach them what getting a beating from someone stronger than you was really like but held back. She was just a human and he should not and did not care.

The next day he was finally well enough to travel back to the palace and he rose to begin his journey. He then caught a scent on the breeze. It was the scent of blood, lots of human blood mixed with the scent of wolves but it was not that scent that caused him pause. Within the scent of blood he recognized that of the little girl who had tried to help him. He turned in the direction of the scent and soon found her dead on the forest path. Her eyes were open, staring lifelessly up at him. It appeared that her village had been attacked and that she had been running in his direction; _'foolish girl.'_ And yet he could not walk away. It pained him to see her eyes so empty. He then felt the tenseiga pulse at his side. The sword wanted to be drawn. Without hesitation he pulled the sword, trying to convince himself that this would be a test. He was merely testing the power of the sword and truly did not care for the girl, even though he knew that the sword would not work unless he felt true compassion for the one he wished to save. He never was good at lying to himself.

He looked down at her body and saw the imps of the spirit world pulling her soul from her body. He sliced through them all in one stroke and watched as the girl began to breathe again, her injuries healed. She rose and smiled at him and he turned and walked away, allowing her to follow after him.

End Flashback

He smirked slightly when he remembered how upset Jaken had been that the girl was allowed to follow his master. Jaken never did figure out why the girl was with them. She'd always stayed close and was obedient and eventually she spoke again and he heard her story. Her parents had been killed by bandits and she was left an orphan. The village did not care to help the girl so she had to steal to eat, which had led to beatings when caught. He could not bring himself to leave her in a human village. He did not find her troublesome, so he allowed her to remain. She was a nice distraction at times.

Now that he had finally admitted his feelings for Kagome, he could also admit what Rin meant to him. She was like a daughter. He protected her fiercely. She was also one of the contributing factors as to why he had not taken one of the mothers of his pups as a mate. No demon bitch would care for a human child and he would not give her up. The girl absolutely adored his pups and they seemed to like her as well, despite their jealousy at not being able to accompany him as she did on his travels. Kagome, he knew, would accept Rin. She had helped the little girl and kept her from danger on a few occasions. She also cared for the kit so he was convinced she would have made a wonderful mother for Rin, but he was also sure that he had no chance. She knew him only as a cold, heartless demon and now she surely saw him as weak. He had failed to protect his own pups and he had even allowed Kikyo to escape from him the first time. Besides, she loved his brother. His brother did not deserve a creature as wonderful as Kagome.

All of his introspection had allowed him to discover a few things. He found that he now believed that love did in fact exist and did not necessarily make you weak. He discovered that while loving her would indeed make him vulnerable to her, it was a risk he was willing to take, if he could even for a short time experience her love in return. He found himself feeling rather empty and eventually decided that despite being surrounded by others in his palace; he was very, very lonely. He found himself becoming more and more depressed at the thought of returning Kagome to her group and losing the peace her mere presence brought him. He really wished at a time like this that he was capable of kicking his own ass. All because he had blocked out all feelings and locked away his beast, mostly because the creature was much too passionate for his liking, as well as ignored the pleas of his own mother, he had on multiple occasions attempted to kill the girl he now wished to have as his mate. He had permanently ruined any chance for her to see him in any other light than the enemy.

He found himself now mentally listing off his crimes against her. On first sight he had insulted her entire species and then attempted to melt her! From there, her opinion of him had been set, he was sure. On each subsequent meeting she had watched him fight ruthlessly with his brother who she obviously loved. That couldn't have helped his case. She had even shot at him several times. Once he had caught her arrow, snapping it in two, while with another she had managed to shatter his armor. She had also shot an arrow at the Tetsusaiga to return it to its dormant state when he had stolen it to keep him from using the sword against Inuyasha. He had been an idiot! There was no possible way she could ever see beyond his actions in the past. He had surely cursed himself to a lonely, empty existence, as no other would ever do. He now knew she was the only one he would ever want.

A thought occurred to him, lessening slightly his current depression. She was a forgiving creature. She had, despite all his attacks, still saved his pups. Maybe, just maybe he could gain her attentions and eventually her love. Sure, he could always just refuse to return her and take her as his mate but he had given her his word and he was nothing without his honor. He could not force her to mate him. He found himself wanting Kagome's love given of her own free will. He wanted her to look at him as she now looked at Inuyasha, with awe and admiration as well as absolute trust. It was then he decided; he would find a way to show her a different side of himself. He would prove his worth. He would court her properly and he would earn her love. Now, if only he could find a way to be in her presence enough for him to succeed. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a loud commotion coming from the dining hall. He rose to go investigate.

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Author's Note:

I thought you all might like to know the meanings of the names I chose for the pups. They are listed below, from oldest to youngest. I spent quite a bit of time choosing the names, and each was selected for a reason.

1. Yoshikazu – righteous first son (nickname - Yoshi which means good)

2. Shinji – faithful second son

3. Hisoka – reserved

4. Hitoshi – even-tempered, level

5. Akihiro – bright scholar  
6. Yuudai – great hero

7. Isamu – courageous warrior


	11. The Search Cont & Who Trusts the Wolf?

Chapter 11 – The Search Continues and Who Trusts the Wolf

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Inuyasha & co. belong to the illustrious Rumiko Takahashi. I do, however, own all my original characters and this plotline.**

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****Chapter 11 – The Search Continues and Who Trusts the Wolf?**

They had finally arrived at the village well past dark. They had traveled all day, wasting no time, hoping and praying that Kagome had simply been delayed and that she was now waiting for them, safe with Kaede. When they arrived however, Kaede told them that she had not seen the girl, making their worries increase. Where was she then? They all silently hoped that she was at home in her time. Inuyasha would wait until morning to go check, as it was too late to find anyone awake there.

Kaede had been shocked at the state of Shippo. His eyes were dull, his clothes disheveled, his hair a mess. He looked as if he had lost a lot of weight. When they arrived, Shippo had walked in slowly and curled up on the futon Kagome usually inhabited when they stayed the night. He breathed deeply, finding just a hint of her scent before he drifted off into a restless sleep. Sango and Miroku found sleep quickly despite their worry. Their exhaustion got the better of them. The night was filled with the whispers of Kaede and Inuyasha. She was not saddened but rather relieved to learn of her sister's 'death'. Now the clay golem with her sister's face could no longer commit evil deeds and sully her sister's memory. She had been just as horrified as Inuyasha had been when he told her of the vision of Kikyo and Naraku with Sesshoumaru's pups, though she had not seemed surprised as they all had been that Sesshoumaru had pups at all. Inuyasha was suspicious just as Miroku had been at the calm of the old woman. She should have been worried about Kagome but she didn't seem very concerned. He would have questioned her further but it was nearly dawn and he had someplace to be.

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Kagura had arrived and immediately told Naraku of her discovery. He had been quite pleased. If he could find the miko before her friends did then he would once again hold something that the inu hanyou who frustrated him beyond all means cared for. Even though Kikyo had failed to mate him, which Naraku had actually found rather funny as it had upset her so, he still could use it against Kagome. If he was able to capture her, she wouldn't know if he spoke the truth or not and Kanna wouldn't even have to manufacture images to show her in the mirror. Parts of what really had occurred were damning enough. He immediately called for Kanna, ordering her to show him Kagome in the mirror. Once again though, the mirror swirled and swirled but would not clear.

"I cannot locate her, Master. Wherever she is, it is shielded or hidden from my sight somehow." Kanna spoke in her monotone voice, sounding for all intents and purposes dead. Naraku was once again furious. What good would it do him to know she was missing if he couldn't find her either?! He sent his Saimyosho out, ordering them to search everywhere for the girl as well as to keep an eye on her friends— from a distance of course, in case they were to find some clue as to her location. He also sent Kagura out on a mission of her own. Why wait to torment Inuyasha when he could do so now?

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When the sun rose, Inuyasha was out of the hut like a shot and through the well. When he arrived in the future he took a deep breath, hoping to find her scent but it was missing. He leapt to her window and let himself in. She never locked her window anymore, knowing it was his preferred point of entry. The scent of her was everywhere in her room, but it was old. She had not been there for some time. He opened her door and went down the steps to the kitchen where he knew he would find her mother.

When she turned around, she had been quite surprised to find the half-demon she loved as a son standing in the doorway, looking quite down.

"Inuyasha dear, is there something the matter? Did Kagome come home with you?" Inuyasha felt his guilt grow as he watched her eyes widen with realization. He had failed to protect Kagome and now her mother might never see her again and it would be entirely his fault. She clutched at her heart, her worry obvious.

"I'm not sure." He hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to proceed. "When did Kagome leave here?"

"She left a week ago, last Friday, why? Kami Inuyasha, where is she?" The elder Higurashi woman appeared to be nearing hysterics. His answer was not what she had expected. Why would he ask when she left? Surely he would know!

Inuyasha took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before continuing. "I'm sorry ma'am, but she never arrived. Miroku and Sango waited for her by the well at sunset just like we always do. She never came. We haven't seen her since she left the last time."

"Did you say sunset?" Inuyasha slowly nodded his head. "She didn't leave at sunset. She left just a little bit after school. She had mentioned something about 'showing him I'm not always late' or something like that and seemed to be in a rush. Where could she be? What has happened to my baby, Inuyasha?" Tears were now streaming down her face. He didn't know how to deal with a crying woman, never had, but he had to do something so he pulled her into his arms.

"I don't know where she is, but I will find her. I promise you that. She is strong. Wherever she is, I am sure she is fine." He rubbed her back gently and eventually her tears slowed. He released her and she gave him a watery smile.

"Thank you, Inuyasha. I know you will find her. I trust you." He felt a jolt in his heart at her words. If he had been at the village instead of off looking for Kikyo, he would never have missed Kagome's arrival. Whatever had happened to her was his fault, of that he was sure. He looked up to see the woman with her head now in the pantry. "If she never got to you then you must be in need of supplies. Let me get some things together for you before you go." She never ceased to amaze him. The Higurashi women were strong. He watched as she gathered items into a pile of the table. There were a few stack of ramen, along with other ninja snacks. A fully stocked first aid kit joined the pile, along with a box of matches, a cooking pot, a few bottles of water, a box of pocky for Shippo, and more.

"Would it be alright if I take something from her room for the runt? He's really upset without her and I thought that if I bring something with her scent on it, then maybe he will feel a little better." It was unlike him, he knew, to think of others, but this whole situation was his fault so he felt obligated to try.

"Sure, dear." Hiromi failed to look up from her task of arranging all the items into a spare backpack. He raced up the steps and returned to her room, letting his nose lead him, trying to find something her scent clung heavily to. He eventually decided on her pillow. It still smelled strongly of her and it was also soft, so maybe Shippo would find it comforting. Once he was gone, the small smile on Hiromi's face spread. Finally it had started. The wide grin was quickly hidden when she heard Inuyasha's feet coming back down the stairs. When he returned to the kitchen, she handed him the bag and gave him a small smile followed by a tight hug. "I know you will find her. I think I would have a feeling if something bad had happened to her. You will find her safe and well, I just know it." She watched as he exited the house and entered the well house before leaping back in time. "Good luck, Kagome," she whispered to herself, before she returned to her tasks, trying to keep her mind occupied, at least until Souta left for school.

Inuyasha wasn't so sure that Kagome was fine and her mother's words echoed through his mind sounding an awful lot like those of Kaede. He didn't understand how either of them could be so certain that Kagome was safe. If she had come through the well early but not made it to the village then someone or something must have intercepted her. Upon deciding this he scented the area carefully, checking for any scent of Kagome or her blood. He did not find any trace of her on his return walk to the hut. The scent of her blood would have remained even now if she had been seriously injured, and he knew she wouldn't go down without a fight. It just didn't make any sense. He knew she was much stronger than he had ever given her credit for and once again his guilt nearly drowned him. Where could she be? Who would she have gone with without a struggle? He decided that they should check with Kouga and his pack first. Maybe some of his pack had been injured. Maybe he had come to her for help. Maybe he kidnapped her. It was always possible.

When he arrived he relayed the information and his suspicions before handing the pillow to Shippo. The kit buried his face in it and breathed deeply before setting it down, climbing on and curling up, falling instantly into a calm sleep for the first time since Kagome had been gone. Sango was relieved at this. Maybe Shippo would be okay now until they could find their friend. They decided to leave the kit behind, leaving a message for him with Kaede that he was to wait there in case Kagome returned. They knew he wouldn't be happy but it would be better this way. He was in no shape for traveling anyway.

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Just as the group of travelers was leaving Inuyasha's Forest, Sesshoumaru was exiting his study, intent on investigating the ruckus in the dining hall. He could hear Jaken squawking, Rin squealing, and several servants talking and rushing about. When he reached the door he was greeted with a relieving sight. There sitting at the table were four of his sons, the two oldest and the two youngest.

"It is good to see you awake. I take it you are feeling well?" They all looked up as he began to speak, the servants freezing in place, arms loaded down with trays of food. At his nod they all resumed their tasks.

As usual Yoshikazu, his eldest, was their spokesman. "Yes father, we are all well. Hisoka, Hitoshi, and Akihiro have remained with the miko. We did not wish to leave her alone." The others nodded their agreement before all four dug into their food as if they were starving. He supposed that they probably were.

"She has not awakened then?" Though he tried to hide it, Sesshoumaru knew that his disappointment was still heard clearly in his voice.

Yoshikazu finished chewing and swallowed before replying. "No father, she has not. When we have finished eating, we will return to her and then the others can eat."

"I can send a servant to watch over her."

"NO!" all four boys cried out before realizing that they had just yelled at their father. They all lowered their heads respectfully in apology.

Shinji continued on for them. "Please, father. We wish to repay her kindness. We would like to look after her while she recovers. It seems that because we each hold a part of her, our proximity aids in her healing. When we are near her we can feel her growing stronger through our link."

"Very well. If I am needed I will be in my study. I wish to be alerted immediately if she so much as stirs."

"Yes father," all four replied as one.

Sesshoumaru turned and headed back to his office, a grin on his face. So, his pups had become attached to her. This could work in his favor. After all, the miko seemed a sucker for children. Maybe this was a way for him to remain close or at least a reason to visit that his brother could not complain about, for he was certain the miko would not allow it. If his sons felt a need to see her regularly, she would make sure that it happened. No matter her opinion of him, she would not hold it against a child. This would give him a chance. Yes, things were looking up already.

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After Inuyasha had left her and she had seen Souta off to school, Hiromi exited the house and made her way to a storage shed on the shrine grounds. She unlocked the door and entered slowly, closing the door behind her. She looked around her for a moment, taking in all of the priceless antiques and irreplaceable relics that were stored on the shelves along with boxes filled with the charms sold at the shrine gift shop. Using a stool, she pulled a small round box out from its hiding place on the top shelf at the far end behind many other boxes. When she had hidden it, she made sure to put it in a place that neither Kagome nor Souta would stumble upon it if sent to retrieve something. She stepped down from the stool and carefully opened the lid and lifted out its delicate contents. In her hands was what appeared to be half of a crystal ball mounted on a round silver plate. The item was stunning. The silver base was wider than the diameter of the crystal and was etched with a pattern of moon phases along the outer edge. Cut into the edges were two handles, so that the relic could be held without danger of dropping it. The full moon cycle was repeated twice, once on either side of the handles. The new moon started the cycle above the left handle. The waxing moon followed. The full moon rested in the 12 o'clock position, and the waning cycle continued on clockwise, ending at the top of the right handle. On the opposite side, the pattern was mirrored.

She concentrated on Kagome and then looked into the center of the ball. There was a soft pink swirl of light before a picture appeared. She could see her daughter, seeming asleep in a large lavish bed covered with silk and surrounded by white fur. Yes, Kagome was indeed fine. She was safe and well. She then noticed her daughter's arm and a smile broke out on her face. Finally, after nearly two years, things seemed to be moving along.

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Yoshi, Shin, Yuudai, and Isamu had finished their meal and immediately returned to the room which held the sleeping miko to take over guard duty for their brothers. They spoke for a moment, Yoshi telling them what their father had said. They all shared a conspiratorial smile. Their father definitely had an interest in the miko. The triplets then went down to eat as the two sets of twins shifted form and curled around the girl once again. Her scent was already stronger than it had been when they left not an hour earlier. She was sure to wake soon. Then, they hoped, the fun could begin.

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Kagome's human friends were flying high over the trees atop Kirara as Inuyasha leapt from treetop to treetop, heading towards Kouga's caves. Kirara suddenly changed directions, barely dodging the blades that flew at them in an attempt to knock them from the sky. Looking around they spotted her. Kagura sat atop her feather, floating not far from them with her fan in hand. Inuyasha jumped to the ground and yelled at her. "Kagura, damn you, if you want a fight then come down here and fight! Otherwise, get the fuck out of our way. We have better things to do with our time." Sango nudged Kirara, who landed beside the fuming hanyou.

"Oh, but don't I know it." Kagura's smile was rather unsettling but they didn't have much time to ponder it before they heard the dark laughter of Naraku coming from the edge of the clearing.

"It seems you have lost something rather important to you, haven't you Inuyasha?" Naraku laughed some more while Inuyasha growled deeply and pulled his sword, which transformed into a giant fang, ready to tear Naraku to shreds. "Actually, you have lost two things, one killed by your own brother, and the other, well; I wouldn't worry about her anymore. I will be sure to find her for you. Although, I can't promise to return her to you in the same condition I find her in." His laughter seemed to surround them as the sky became dark, covered in a cloud of demons.

"You fucking bastard!" Inuyasha yelled before running towards where Naraku could be seen in the shadows. The swarm of demons overhead descended on them and the battle was on. As Inuyasha approached where Naraku stood, tentacles extended from his body, flying out in an attempt to impale the inu hanyou. Inuyasha cut them off in one powerful sweep of the Tetsusaiga before sending the Windscar at him. He was not in the mood to play around and he didn't plan on wasting time. Meanwhile Sango and Kirara had taken to the sky once again, Sango wielding Hiraikotsu killing demons in powerful sweeps while Kirara ripped from the sky any who got too close. Miroku was on the ground swinging his staff and throwing sutras, purifying demons all around.

It seemed that Naraku had only cared to get his message across as he did nothing to avoid the Windscar and made no attempt to raise a barrier. As was expected, all that remained was a broken wooden puppet with a strand of black hair wrapped around it. Inuyasha turned away and searched the sky for Kagura, but it seemed that she had disappeared. "Sango, Miroku, get out of the way!" When they heard his yell, Kirara landed behind Inuyasha after grabbing Miroku quickly by his robes on the way. Once his friends were out of the way, Inuyasha finished the rest of the demons off in one swipe.

"Why thank you, Kirara," Miroku said kindly as the giant cat carefully lowered him to his feet. Sango slid down and Inuyasha turned to face them. "It seems to me that Naraku only intended to taunt. It didn't seem like he planned much of a fight."

"No, that was too easy. But how did he know Kagome was missing?" Sango asked while pushing her hair back out of her face. Miroku's eyes were riveted to her heaving chest as she attempted to catch her breath.

"I don't know how the bastard found out but now that he knows we have to find her before he does. I won't let him hurt Kagome!" Inuyasha was trying his best to hold down his anger. He had really needed a fight to work off some anger and worry and that little battle was only enough to piss him off. He growled suddenly and the others looked at him in question. Before they had a chance to ask what was wrong now a tornado of dust appeared in the distance and they no longer needed an answer. The twister dissipated in front of them, revealing a smug looking Kouga.

"Hey dog breath. Where's my woman? Did she finally decide she can't stand the smell of you?"

"So she's not with you?" Sango asked. Kouga looked surprised at her question.

"What do you mean by that? Of course she's not with me! Where is she you fucking mutt?" Kouga yelled.

Inuyasha growled lowly, but it was Miroku who spoke. "Kouga, hello. Maybe you could help us. Kagome has gone missing and we are searching for her but we do not know where to begin. Perhaps with your assistance we could cover more ground."

Kouga's eyes narrowed as he listened to the monk speak. "You **LOST** her?" Kouga was now in Inuyasha's face, his words coming out mixed with vicious snarls. "I knew you were worthless, but damn it, how could you **LOSE HER**? She counts on you to **PROTECT** her, you stupid half-breed mutt." Inuyasha continued his low rumble but did not respond, and for once, did not attack. He deserved every insult Kouga could throw at him. Kagome did depend on him and he let her down once again.

Sango and Miroku pushed themselves between the two and finally, after much talking and pleading, managed to get Kouga to sit down so they could explain. They told Kouga the whole story and by the time they were finished they were joined by a panting Ginta and Hakaku, as well as a small pack of wolves. Kouga agreed to help search and they spoke for a while longer, deciding how to split up and who would look where before they separated.

Kouga had agreed to search his lands in the East, but failed to tell them that he did not plan on returning Kagome if, no, _when_ he found her. She wasn't safe with the idiot hanyou and he loved her too much to let her get hurt. Once they were alone, Kouga gave his men their orders. One wolf was to return to the caves and tell everyone the situation and have them search everywhere for the scent of their pack sister, separating into groups to search all of Japan. Ginta would lead a group in the North. Hakaku and his group would search the South. Kouga decided to cover the East himself. None, however, would be sent to the West unless she had not been found elsewhere. Kouga, while on okay political terms with Lord Sesshoumaru, knew better than to send his men into his lands without permission if he ever wanted to see them again. They were to begin their search immediately once they had received their orders. When he had finished relaying his demands, he took off with a gust of wind and the remaining wolves spread out, sniffing constantly for their pack sister.

While running, Kouga thought of his beautiful Kagome and how wonderful it would be to finally take her as his mate. His thoughts ran wild and he nearly stumbled several times as he imagined especially distracting things. He would make her his and then the mutt would no longer be an issue. He would save her from whoever had taken her and she would be so grateful she would beg for him to mate her right then and there. He had to slow for a few moments as he pictured just how grateful she would be. Yes, she would be his mate and that was that.


	12. Awakening and a Slip of the Tongue

Chapter 12 – Awakening and a Slip of the Tongue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Inuyasha & co. belong to the illustrious Rumiko Takahashi. I do, however, own all my original characters and this plotline.**

**Chapter 12 – Awakening and a Slip of the Tongue**

Night had once again found the palace and Kagome's sleeping form was once again surrounded by dog demons. Seven mid-sized white dogs curled around one side of her body while the other was being occupied by another dog demon; this one in his humanoid form. His nose was buried in the curve of her neck and his silver tresses feathered over her shoulder, mixing with hers of the darkest ebony.

The girl found herself once again in a field of white flowers resting under a crescent moon. She looked around and admired the beauty of the seven white dogs that lay surrounding her. She lifted her hand and found that this time she was solid instead of translucent. She reached out and smoothed the soft fur on the head of the dog nearest her.

Sesshoumaru found himself again in the dream world, standing in the trees surrounding the same clearing he had dreamt before. He looked out and saw Kagome, a solid Kagome this time, sitting and slowly rubbing the ears of one of the white dogs that lay circled around her. He recognized them as his pups and wondered if they were also sharing the dream. He stepped forward, slowly walking towards the woman dressed once again in a beautiful shimmering silver kimono. He noticed how the moonlight reflected off of her hair, making it appear to have dark blue streaks. She finally noticed him, turning her head and giving him a heartwarming smile.

"I see you were right, Sesshoumaru. I feel much stronger now."

"Yes. You should be waking any time now. It seems my pups have grown quite attached to you. They have refused to leave you unattended since they woke. Right now, in fact, they all surround you, very similar to how they appear here. It is a very good thing I had you placed in a room with a large futon. Otherwise not all of them would fit."

A grin spread across Kagome's face at Sesshoumaru's small attempt at humor. "So then they're okay?"

"Yes, Kagome, they have all returned to normal, if not better. I am unsure how I am going to separate them from you when it is time for you to return to your village."

"How could they have become so attached to me? I have been asleep this whole time!"

"Nevertheless, they have. I believe it has something to do with your mark. They now share a connection with you which cannot be broken. Come, stand up. I wish to test something." Kagome looked at him with questions in her eyes but she stood anyway. He held his hand out to her and she took it, stepping carefully between the sleeping forms. As he led her away from them they began to stir. One by one they rose and followed at a close distance. Kagome and Sesshoumaru walked slowly while observing them. "It is as I suspected. They wish to stay close, even here. It will be interesting to see how they react once you wake. Rin is also looking forward to seeing you." They stopped walking now and stood in place, neither noticing that their hands were still interlocked. The pups surrounded them and then lay around them in a rough circle.

"How long have I been out, Sesshoumaru?"

"It has been slightly over a week, which I fear is my fault. It took me several days to be able to locate the dead miko. I apologize. If I had not let her escape me the first time, you would not have been so weakened."

Looking into his eyes she could see honest regret and even shame, something she had never imagined Sesshoumaru capable of. "Don't blame yourself, Sesshoumaru. It's not your fault. Kikyo was pretty good at getting away when necessary. Those creepy soul collectors would just pick her up and fly her away. Besides, I'm fine now which is all that matters. Thank you for taking care of me all this time."

"There is no need to thank me. All I wish is for you to wake. There will be quite a crowd waiting." Kagome giggled a bit at this.

"This place is so beautiful. Never before have I had dreams in such a wonderful setting. It must have something to do with you." She shot a sly smile in his direction. "Do you often have dreams of a field full of flowers in the moonlight? It just doesn't seem like your kind of thing."

"Really? Well then, what would you think this Sesshoumaru would dream of?"

"Hmmm." She smirked up at him, a sparkle in her eye. "I would think you would dream of a battlefield, the soil drenched with blood, and body parts lying around. You, swinging your sword, showing off your power. Yeah, that seems more like your thing." She gave him a wink and he leaned in closer to her, his hair slipping forward over his shoulders and into her line of sight like a silver waterfall, blocking her vision on both sides. He was almost nose to nose with her now.

"There is much you do not know about this Sesshoumaru." He paused for a moment and listened as her breathing deepened and her heart beat speed up. _'So, she is excited by my proximity.'_ "For example, this Sesshoumaru does not dream often, and I have yet to dream of a scene as you have described. I have seen more than my share during my waking hours, after all." She shivered and he was unsure if the cause was his words or how his breath swept across her lips as he spoke.

Kagome was nervous. _'What is Sesshoumaru doing so close? He smells good. Kami, I can almost feel his lips, they are so close! What is he trying to do to me?' _She gazed into his eyes and saw a depth she had never before experienced. There were emotions in those eyes behind his poker face. Now, if only she could tell what they meant!

He lowered his eyes to her lips and she licked them, wetting them without thinking. Thoughts swam in all directions in his mind. _'Will she allow this Sesshoumaru to kiss her? Her lips look so inviting.' _He leaned in just a bit more, slowly, waiting to see if she would pull away from him and when she didn't he pressed his lips to hers gently.

Meanwhile, Kagome's brain was ready to explode. _'Oh my Kami, he's kissing me! Mr. Killing Perfection is kissing me, little old Kagome! Holy shit! Oh, what do I do, what do I do?'_

Before she got a chance to decide whether to respond or pull away, Kagome was ripped from him. She woke with a start and her whole body twitched, immediately alerting all of her sleeping companions.

It was suddenly very dark. She slowly took in her situation. She was lying on her left side and a gentle weight was pressed against her back. There was something lying across her waist and in front of her was a source of great warmth. But why was it so dark? Kagome finally realized the problem and slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was flooded with white fur, which rolled like waves as the things covered in said fur moved about. Suddenly a spot of red came into view and then another. Soon she realized she was looking into the red eyes of several mid-sized white dogs. She looked a little lower and realized then that there was an arm wrapped around her waist. She froze, unsure of what to do as well as unsure of the identity of the one holding her. After a moment she noticed a magenta stripe wrapping around the lower forearm to the wrist. She knew that arm!

"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome whispered softly.

"Yes, Kagome?" Sesshoumaru replied in a deep, sleep filled voice that caused her to shiver at its intensity.

After a few moments Kagome found that her ability to speak had returned. "Nothing. Just making sure." Okay, so apparently her mouth worked, but her brain… not so much.

He chuckled behind her before giving her a soft squeeze with his arm, taking in one more deep pull of her scent, and reluctantly pulling away to sit up. The pups watched their father's actions with humor dancing in their eyes. They took turns nuzzling the half awake young miko before stepping off of the futon, shifting form, and standing in a line at the end of the bed. When they were all assembled Sesshoumaru cleared his throat, startling the dazed beauty from her thoughts. She sat up quickly and looked from him to the line of boys. The way they stood reminded her of soldiers in formation.

Sesshoumaru knew what the pups were doing. He had taught them the proper way to present themselves for introduction. "Kagome… I would very much like to introduce you to my sons. My eldest and heir is Yoshikazu." The first boy stepped forward and bowed low. When he straightened he locked eyes with her.

"I wanted to thank you, Lady Kagome, for healing us, for giving us a chance where no other miko would. You are an amazing creature. In thanks for your gift, my brothers and I have given you a gift in return." She looked from the boy who had just spoken to Sesshoumaru, who looked just as confused as she felt.

"What is it that you have done, Yoshikazu?" Yoshi lowered his eyes. They had been aware that they should have consulted their father before they proceeded, but they were determined to do what they had done and were unsure as to whether their father would have allowed it.

"We apologize for not having asked permission first father. We have given to her as she gave to us." Sesshoumaru's eyes widened slightly before his mask returned. He nodded and Yoshi stepped back into the line.

Sesshoumaru decided to continue with the introductions before they veered off track. "My second born, and Yoshikazu's twin is named Shinji." Shinji stepped forward and bowed, repeating the actions of his brother.

"I would also like to thank you for giving us all a second chance at life. If ever there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to ask. I will be forever in your debt."

Kagome was quite surprised by the level of development of the pups she knew to be just shy of one and a half years old. _'Youkai must develop much faster than humans! The older five all look to be nearly five now, and so far, they seem to speak at an even higher level. The younger two seem to be a little older than three maybe. Wow. I'm impressed. It must be nice not to have to change diapers forever!'_

Kagome nodded to the boy before speaking. "You owe me nothing. I only did what I felt was the right thing to do. I need no repayment. Thank you for offering though."

Shin lowered his eyes before nodding and returning to his place in line. Sesshoumaru continued on once again. "My third is called Hisoka." Hisoka stepped forward and bowed, but did not make eye contact with her. A light blush colored his cheeks as he stepped back into the line. "Fourth born was Hitoshi."

Hitoshi stepped forward and smiled at her before bowing. "You'll have to excuse Hisoka. He tends to be quiet around people. He's a bit shy." Hisoka's blush now darkened considerably and you could see the merriment dancing in Hitoshi's eyes. "Lady Kagome, on behalf of my brothers Hisoka and Akihiro and I, we would like to thank you from the depths of our hearts. Whether you think you deserve a reward or not, we all feel that you deserve more than we could ever give you and will gladly spend the rest of our lives trying to repay you and devoted to your protection." Hitoshi stepped back into line, the signal that he had finished his speech.

Kagome was blushing almost as brightly as Hisoka. They all had such sweet things to say about her. They were definitely not quite as she had expected. She had been prepared for cold, emotionless mini-Sesshoumaru clones, but these boys all seemed full of life and each one seemed different from the last, despite their near mirrored appearances.

Sesshoumaru swelled with pride at the words of his sons. They had learned well the importance of honor and respect. "Fifth and the youngest of the triplets is Akihiro. The boy stepped forward and bowed, repeating the motions of those before him before he spoke. "Lady Kagome, if it would be at all possible I would love to speak with you about what occurred. I have read a lot about mikos, but I have never come across any mention of one with the ability to transfer their power to another, especially to a demon. If you would not mind I would like you to describe your method so that I can record it to add to the library."

Kagome nodded to the boy with a large smile. "I would be more than happy to tell you everything I remember."

"Finally, my two youngest sons are named Yuudai," Yuudai stepped forward and bowed, "and Isamu." Isamu repeated the motion and the two smiled at her in perfect harmony.

"You're very pretty." Yuudai spoke first, and from there the boys switched every sentence.

"Yes, we hope you like our gift."

"Are you going to stay with us?"

"Do you like daddy?

"I think daddy likes you."

"We think you should stay here with us," Isamu started.

Yuudai continued in his place. "forever and ever. We promise to always be good,"

"We'll listen, and study hard, and train, and do whatever you ask."

"Please stay pretty lady. We like you." The youngest twins tag teamed their thoughts, speaking so quickly that no one got a chance to get a word in before they stopped. When they were silent again, Kagome caught sight of Yoshikazu sending a very familiar glare at the eager boys.

"It is very nice to meet all of you. You all seem like very nice young men and very well behaved too. I bet you can be a handful though, huh? Yuudai, Isamu, as much as I would love to stay with you forever, I have a very important task to do and I need to return to my friends to do so. I also have a kit that must be worried sick about me by now. I'm the closest thing he has to family anymore and he hasn't been without me for this long since we first met." Kagome watched as the faces of all the boys dropped. "Just because I can't stay doesn't mean we can't see each other again. I would be happy to visit once I have finished my duty and until then maybe your father could bring you to visit me. I know Shippo would love to meet you all." Their faces brightened somewhat but they still looked disappointed. She decided to distract them. "So, who wants to tell me about this gift you guys mentioned?"

All of them came rushing towards her at once, all talking simultaneously. "See, look here," one lifted her left arm slightly. "We gave you our mark…just like you marked us…I've never seen a mark like the one you gave us before…do you know what it does…the nurses tried to explain…no one knows" The pups all spoke together, interrupting each other and completing each other's thoughts. Kagome's head was starting to spin from turning her head, trying to keep track of who was doing the talking. "each one of the lines is one of us…this one's mine…here's mine…and mine…see, now we will know if you're in trouble… any weaker demons will know to keep away…it should help keep you safe…do you like it?...it means you're pack…you're our family now…can I call you mama?"

A large gasp was heard from all the boys except the one who had spoken last. It had been shy little Hisoka who managed to say what all the others ached to know but were too afraid of the answer to ask. Now they all looked back and forth from Kagome's face to Sesshoumaru's. Both of their expressions appeared frozen in surprise and slowly Kagome turned her face to meet eyes with the demon lord and father to the pup who just asked her to be his mother. Her eyes showed her nervousness and pleaded with him to answer for her. She did not want to break the boy's heart but she was just a human, and Sesshoumaru would surely never permit such a thing as allowing a human to act as mother to his pups. He had said before that they needed none.

Sesshoumaru looked into the girl's eyes. He was stunned by Hisoka's request. He knew they had all become attached to her, but to ask to call her mama was more than he had expected. He felt guilt well up inside himself. He had thought that his pups would do fine without a mother but perhaps he was wrong. They all seemed to be frozen in place awaiting an answer, begging silently with their eyes for either adult to say something, anything. The taiyoukai stayed silent, wanting to hear her answer.

Kagome finally decided she would have to be the one to speak since it seemed like Sesshoumaru wasn't going to help her out. "Hisoka, sweetie, all of you really, you all mean a lot to me. I can feel a connection to each of you because of what we have shared. Each and every one of you will always have a place in my heart, but…" she paused, seeing how their eyes all showed fear once the dreaded B word had been uttered. "You all have to understand. I am a human and even if I was a demon, being a mother is something that is a huge commitment. I am not able to make that commitment to you because if I were to act as your mother I would want to spend every moment with you all and that is just not possible. I have a very important duty, a job to complete. Cheer up! We can still be friends. Besides, why would you want a human miko as a mother anyway? I'm not so sure your father would approve either." The last sentence was nearly a whisper but she could tell Sesshoumaru had heard by the way one eyebrow rose high on his forehead, disappearing behind his parted bangs.

He had been surprised by her answer. He knew that she would probably not say yes, if for no other reason then because of her knowledge of his feelings about humans. He was impressed by how gently she had tried to let them down, but he could still feel the disappointment and sorrow rolling off of his pups. "My sons," he started. He waited until he had their attention before continuing. "Go get cleaned up and dressed for breakfast. I expect you down in the dining hall and seated within half an hour." The boys stood, shoulders slumped, before they exited the room single file. Once they were gone Sesshoumaru looked back to the one he intended to make his own. She also looked very upset, even slightly afraid.

"I'm sorry Sesshoumaru. I didn't mean to upset them but I didn't know how to answer that. I know you would never want a human as their mother. You said before that they didn't need a mother, that one would only coddle them and make them weak. I hope you're not mad."

"Miko," he paused, considering his words. "Kagome, it is not your fault. Do not feel guilty. Besides, this Sesshoumaru has decided that I may have underestimated the worth of a mother figure. I was unaware before now that they desired one. As for your reply, you did your best to not hurt them with your decision. This is something I will have to think on at length. Know this, if I had to choose a mother for them, despite your humanity, I could not find a better choice than you." Kagome's blush returned at his words.

"Okay, who are you and where is the real Sesshoumaru?" Kagome joked.

"I assure you miko, that I am the one and only Sesshoumaru. There is much you do not know of me." The dream she had experienced before she woke came rushing through her head at his words and the memory of their kiss made her shiver slightly. She hoped it had not been noticeable but when she looked at him again the smirk on his face and laughter in his eyes proved that he had, indeed, noticed. "I will send a servant to assist you in bathing and dressing. We will be awaiting you for breakfast." With that said the lord turned on his heel and exited the room, intent on checking on the surprise he had for the miko.


	13. Before the Morning Meal

Chapter 13 – Before the Morning Meal

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Inuyasha & co. belong to the illustrious Rumiko Takahashi. I do, however, own all my original characters and this plotline.**

**Chapter 13 – Before the Morning Meal**

"Hisoka, what were you thinking? You probably scared her off now!" Yoshikazu scowled at his younger brother before turning away to continue dressing. They had congregated after a quick wash to speak on what had just occurred.

"I'm…I'm sorry, Yoshi! I didn't mean to say it, really! It just slipped out!" Hisoka was nearly in tears at the thought of having chased away the one that he and his brothers wanted as their mother.

"Don't be so hard on him, Yosh. It was an honest mistake. You know we all wanted to ask that. Besides, I don't think it scared her off. She did say that she would visit and that maybe father would bring us to see her as well." Shinji felt bad. It truly wasn't Hisoka's fault.

"Yeah, and I'm pretty sure that father will definitely want to see her again," Hitoshi chimed in.

"Father has had a strong interest in her girl for some time. Add to that the fact that he held her in his arms as he slept and I think we have a strong chance." Akihiro always was the logical one. The others nodded their agreement.

"Yeah, okay, so maybe we haven't lost yet." Yoshi smiled a bit at Hisoka who visibly calmed.

"I got the feeling she was saying no mostly because of father. She hesitated for a long time waiting for him to answer. Remember Rin and Jaken's stories? Father has always made his dislike for humans known in her presence. It's almost like he is trying to convince himself! I bet he regrets it now!" Hitoshi laughed aloud at his own comment. The thought of their proud father wishing he had kept his mouth shut was just too much. Soon the others joined in, their laughter carrying away any sadness and worry they held. They rushed to finish dressing, all in a hurry to see the miko again and no one wishing to be late and possibly incur their father's wrath.

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The search had been on for a whole day and yet his Saimyosho had yet to locate the girl. They had scoured everywhere Naraku could think of, everywhere they could reach. Of course there were a few places he couldn't see. The Western palace was still under a barrier, which was still pissing him off by the way. There were a few other barriers throughout Japan where his insects could not venture, but Naraku was fairly certain she was not in them. The Northern palace was always under a barrier, as the Lord of the North had a thing about his privacy. There were also several remote shrines and temples spread about that maintained barriers as well.

He could find no reason for her to be with the Northern Lord and she would not have been able to reach any of the other locations within the amount of time since he had seen her last though Kanna's mirror which had been when she had foiled Kikyo's spell on that idiot Inuyasha. They were too far away from her last known location and very difficult to reach by foot. No, she wasn't there either. So where in the seven layers of hell was she? Was it possible that some rogue demon had simply killed and eaten her? While he found the idea fairly entertaining, it wasn't to his advantage if she was already dead. No, she would only be fun if she was alive.

He had ordered Kanna to show him her mirror constantly since he had sent out the spies, vigilantly checking on their progress. He was a half-demon obsessed, even more than usual. Every now and then he would have her attempt to show him the girl but every time the mirror only swirled and swirled, disobeying his command. He was getting frustrated now but he was determined to get what he wanted. He would find the girl before her friends could rescue her. Then he would let them worry for a while until they had given her up for dead and then he would start the show. Yes, he had it all worked out in his evil little mind's eye and he **would** have his way.

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Kagome sat on the edge of the futon, looking around the room she was now alone in. She had never seen such beautiful furnishings! The futon was raised and quite resembled a western style four poster bed. The bed was surrounded by silver silk that was tied back at the four corners, holding them open, but they could be closed for privacy. The bedding was also made of silk in silver and shades of blue ranging from the softest baby blue to a dark navy. There was a multitude of pillows in the same shades resting at the head of the bed.

Looking away from the bed she saw a fireplace with a mantle which appeared to be carved from one large piece of a soft gray stone. Above the mantle hung a portrait of what could have been any one of Sesshoumaru's pups, except that the boy in the painting held no smile and had the crescent moon only present on Yoshikazu and Sesshoumaru himself. She held no doubt that it was indeed a young Sesshoumaru painted there. She found herself wondering why even at this young age he wasn't smiling? Instead, the longer she stared at it the more she got a feeling of sadness coming from the portrait. Kagome was startled from her near trancelike gaze at the portrait of the young demon lord by a soft voice.

"Excuse me, Lady Kagome." Kagome looked towards the source of the voice. Standing just inside the door was young female youkai. Kagome wasn't sure what kind she was but she suspected a bird of some sort. The girl had short golden hair ending just below her chin that was perfectly straight and shone like the sun. Her eyes were turquoise and held a shy reserved look. She was wearing a plain tan kimono tied with a matching obi of a slightly darker shade. Kagome's inspection was cut short by the voice once more. "I have been sent by Lord Sesshoumaru to assist you in your morning preparations for the day. Please follow me." The girl walked across the room and stopped at a door on the right of the fireplace that Kagome had failed to notice before. On second glance, Kagome noted another door on the left side. The servant opened the door and waited patiently for Kagome to rise.

Kagome was finally able to break from her musings and remember her manners. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm still not quite awake. What is your name?" Kagome asked this while walking across the room to the doorway. She froze mid-step with a gasp. Behind the door was a beautiful hot spring! The spring itself was carved into the floor in a large circular shape and Kagome noticed that there was a ridge just perfect for sitting and relaxing. It reminded her of a modern day hot tub! The water ran slowly through, entering on one side and flowing out on the other. The gentle movement kept the water fresh and clear and at what looked to be the perfect temperature from the steam in the room.

The youkai handmaid giggled quietly at Kagome's dropped jaw. When she managed to contain herself she spoke again. "I am so sorry, Lady Kagome. I should have introduced myself. My name is Natsuko. I see you approve of your bathing area?"

"Please, no lady. My name is Kagome, and yes, I love it!" Natsuko giggled again at Kagome's enthusiasm before nudging her gently. Kagome got the hint and moved into the room. Natsuko followed and closed the door behind them before moving to Kagome to assist her in removing her sleeping yakuta. It was her turn to freeze in place with a gasp as she caught sight of the markings adorning the miko's left arm. When Kagome noticed where Natsuko was looking she asked her about it but the girl immediately changed the subject, refusing to explain. She helped Kagome into the spring and insisted on washing her hair despite the objections, but Kagome insisted on washing her body without assistance. It wasn't like her arms were broken and she refused to be lazy. Once finished, she helped Kagome into a fluffy white robe and led her back into the bedroom through the connecting door.

Natsuko immediately went to the door on the other side of the fireplace and opened it to reveal either a huge closet or a mid-sized room depending on your point of view. Either way, the walls were lined with rows and rows of beautiful kimonos. There was also a section of shelves holding hundreds of pairs of silk slippers. In the center of the room was a bench, the top padded and covered by dark blue silk. Kagome gasped once again at the sight of it all. The handmaid on the other hand did not seem at all surprised and simply went in and looked through the choices before pulling out a pale blue kimono, the bottom and sleeves decorated with sparking dark blue stars. She then selected a silver obi and silver slippers and proceeded to help Kagome dress. Once finished, she sat the miko down in front of a dressing table Kagome had not noticed before. Kagome gazed at herself in the mirror while Natsuko expertly brushed her hair then swept it up in a messy bun, curling tendrils to frame her face.

"All done!"

Kagome stood and observed herself in the mirror. Never before had she looked or felt quite so feminine! Finally she snapped out of it. "Thanks so much, Natsuko! I can't believe that's me!" Natsuko only giggled once more before leading Kagome out the door.

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Once he left Kagome, Sesshoumaru stopped by his own room to dress for the day before heading to his study. Kagome's surprise should have arrived by now. He entered and sat, calling for Jaken. As always the toad came running and skidded to a stop in front of his desk, nearly slamming into another chair in the process. He bowed low before his lord, pressing his green beaklike mouth to the floor.

"Yes, my Lord, what can this lowly Jaken do for you, my Lord?"

"Has the item I sent for arrived?"

"Yes, my Lord, it has."

"Good. I would like it to be delivered to the garden after breakfast. I shall present it to her then. And Jaken?"

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Make it look good. This is very important and if she fails to be impressed I will hold you responsible."

Jaken visibly gulped before nodding his head repeatedly. "Yes, my Lord."

Sesshoumaru did not bother to look at the toad before motioning his dismissal. His mind was elsewhere. He really hoped she liked his surprise. Maybe she would like it so much she would thank him with a kiss? His mind was once again filled with the memory of her soft lips, both in the dream and when he had extracted his youki. Now if only he could manage a kiss while she was conscious!

His thoughts drifted to the marks given by his pups. Now they would sense if she was ever in danger. He found himself slightly jealous of their connection with the miko, before finding being jealous of his own pups ridiculous. Besides, he could fix that. It would be easy enough to add his own mark of protection. That decided, he once again allowed his mind to return to the kiss.

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Shippo woke with a start. He felt her, he was sure of it! He didn't know how it was happening but he also didn't care. He could feel his Mama again! She seemed to be pretty far away but he still felt her and now he knew that she was okay, that she was still alive!. He sat for quite a while just reveling in the feeling. It was weak because of the distance but he was sure that it was her. But he was confused. Where exactly was she? Since he knew she was well then where could she be? He knew she was not with Kouga's pack, which he had before considered an option, because he knew Kouga's den rested to the east of Kaede's village and he felt his Mama to the west. Who did she know in the west and why would she go with them without saying anything? His worry returned now as he tried to figure it out. Someone they knew was to the west, now who was it? The kit sat and wracked his brain for several minutes before he got frustrated and decided he didn't care who she was with, he wanted her now! He hopped up and ran past Kaede so fast that she nearly fell over.

"Shippo? Shippo!" Kaede called after the kit but before she could blink he was out of sight. She had never seen him move so fast. She had a guess as to where he was going as she could feel her as well but she worried that he would not make it so far alone. Maybe he would realize it too. Hopefully he would come back soon.

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Kouga had been running for hours. '_Where could she be? How could dog breath have lost her? The idiot! I should never have left her with him to begin with. Now my woman could be in danger and no one knows where she is. And on top of that Naraku is looking too!' _As soon as he thought that he ran even faster. If that was the case then he had to hurry! He had searched over nearly all of the northern territory himself. His wolves he had sent everywhere but the west. If they had found her he would know so he had to continue. The idiot dog and Kagome's friends had decided to check the south and he had sent wolves there as well, so west was all that was left. He had to be the one to find her. If he found her then he could convince her that she would be safer with his pack than with the half-breed who couldn't be bothered to show up to meet her! He was sure she would see things his way and then everything would be right with the world, well, beside Naraku. It seemed that he had two annoying hanyou that needed to be taken care of.

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Kagome followed behind Natsuko, carefully taking in everything. The walls of the palace seemed to be carved out of a solid piece of shining white marble. The walls and floor of the halls gleamed in the sunlight streaming through the windows placed here and there. She passed countless priceless looking wall hangings and beautiful portraits. There were small tables strategically placed, each holding beautiful vases full of wild flowers. _'Now I bet Rin had something to do with all these flowers.' _Kagome grinned at the thought. When they finally stopped outside of massive carved wooden doors she fully understood why she had needed to be led. They turned so many times she thought for sure they had gone in circles! She looked up to the doors and admired the carving. Each door was decorated with what looked to be Sesshoumaru in his true form, although it could have been his father as well. The huge dog demons were shown from the side, each facing in towards the small crease between the doors, and were surrounded by clouds. It was breathtaking.

After allowing her a moment to inspect the door, Natsuko opened them with ease, a feat that had Kagome's eyes wide. Those doors had to weigh a ton! But then, Natsuko **was** some kind of demon. Kagome took a few steps into the dining room before stopping in her tracks.

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Author's Note: Natsuko – summer child


	14. Breakfast at the Palace Moon

Chapter 14 – Breakfast at the Palace Moon

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Inuyasha & co. belong to the illustrious Rumiko Takahashi. I do, however, own all my original characters and this plotline.**

**Chapter 14 – Breakfast at the Palace Moon**

The dining room was a sight to behold. It could have easily fit Sesshoumaru in his true form several times over. The ceiling was high and domed with hanging chandeliers that looked to be made of the finest crystal and holding hundreds of candles. The room was rectangular with the entrance where she stood at one end. Directly in front of her on the opposite wall was a huge window that overlooked a beautiful forest. It seemed that they were at the very least on the second, if not third, level of the palace. Between her and the window was the longest table she had ever seen. It was a traditional low table made of a shining dark red wood. Pillows lined the sides and Sesshoumaru could be seen sitting at the head of the table, his back to the window with sunlight illuminating his form from behind. She noticed the heavy red velvet curtains off to the sides of the window which she figured would come in handy at certain times of the day to cut down on glare. On both sides of the long table the walls were lined with wall hangings depicting dog demons engaged in battle with many different types of demons. Kagome took her time looking over each tapestry, not noticing that she held the attention of all those sitting at the long table.

She jumped suddenly when she heard Sesshoumaru clear his throat. She had been so enthralled by the environment that she had failed to see him rise and approach her. She looked at him with surprise and noticed his small smirk and the amusement that danced in his eyes. He held his arm out to her and without thinking she looped her arm through his and allowed him to guide her to her seat. She was seated in the only empty position towards the head of the table, directly to Sesshoumaru's right. She lowered herself to her pillow and looked around; taking in everyone's seating positions. Rin was to her right, followed by Hisoka, Hitoshi, and Akihiro. Yoshikazu sat directly across from her to Sesshoumaru's left, followed by Shinji, Yuudai, and Isamu.

After she was seated, Sesshoumaru returned to his seat and nodded to the servants that Kagome noticed were entering from a small doorway on the side wall that seemed to appear out of no where. When the door was closed, the wall appeared seamless. The servants quickly placed plates, bowls, cups, and chopsticks in front of everyone along with large platters covered in many different types of food, some Kagome recognized and some she didn't. They also placed pitchers of water and juice on the table. Some of the servants stepped back and bowed before leaving while others began to transfer the food from the platters to the individual plates, asking quietly what each would like, and some poured the drinks. When they finished, they backed up and bowed low before leaving as well. Everyone waited patiently for Sesshoumaru to take the first bite, signaling to the others that they could also begin to eat.

All the while Kagome seemed to be in a daze, enthralled by the beauty of the room and the wonderful smells of all the food. She suddenly realized she was starving! As soon as Sesshoumaru took the first bite she picked up her chopsticks and appeared to attack her food, trying to use her manners as much as possible but seeming to fail as her hunger took precedence.

He watched her quietly, amusement once again in his eyes. Apparently she was hungry! He decided to wait until she was finished before he started to speak. Everyone ate in silence, following the example set by their lord and father.

Finally Kagome had eaten her fill and she leaned back slightly from the table with a contented sigh.

"I take it that you were hungry?" Sesshoumaru asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

Kagome glanced at his face and then turned away quickly, a deep blush spreading like wildfire across her cheeks. She suddenly realized just how fast she had been eating and in front of him of all people! She stared at her lap, avoiding eye contact with everyone.

"You shouldn't be embarrassed!" Shinji said from across the table. "We all know just how you feel! You should have seen us eat when we first woke up!"

"He is right, Lady Kagome! I was there! They were definitely hungry and they ate almost as fast as you did!" Rin was so happy to see Kagome awake; she failed to notice the blush on he cheeks darken at her innocent words.

Slowly Kagome raised her eyes and caught Shin's. He smiled brightly at her, fangs gleaming in the morning sunlight. She smiled back shyly. "Thanks, Shinji, right?"

"Yes, Lady Kagome."

"Good. And thanks to you too, Rin." She shot Rin a grin as well before looking over the pups. "I have a feeling it will take me a while to get your names right. There are just so many of you and you all look alike! The only one I should never mistake would be you, Yoshikazu."

"Please Lady Kagome, call me Yoshi if you would like. It is good to see you eat. We were all very worried about your health since you had slept so long. Demons do not need to eat as often as humans and we feared you would waste away."

"No worries! I'm fine!" Kagome shot them all a bright smile. "I feel perfectly normal now. I guess all I needed was a good rest and time to recover. Oh, and no Lady stuff, 'kay guys? You can all just call me Kagome, really. Trust me; I am no where near deserving of being called Lady by the heirs of the Western Lands!"

"But you are, Kagome," Sesshoumaru interrupted. "If it was not for you there would be no heirs at all and thus you deserve the utmost respect."

"But I only did what was right! You don't need to treat me differently. I'm the same Kagome I always was or did you forget, oh Great Lord, that I am but a ningen miko who travels with your half-demon half-brother?" Kagome knew she was pushing her luck but Sesshoumaru had just been acting too strangely.

The boys all looked up, slightly shocked at the disrespect in her voice, and the servants that had entered and begun clearing the table gasped loudly and froze in fear of what would happen to the girl. Kagome simply turned to him and smiled. Even louder gasps were heard and one servant girl actually fainted when Sesshoumaru responded with his own smile, not the smile warning of impending death, but an actual warm smile directed at a human miko!

"Okay now, Sesshoumaru, what's up with you? I have never seen you smile like that."

"There is nothing 'up' with this Sesshoumaru, at least not at the moment." His eyes held a mischievous gleam and Kagome blushed again at his insinuation. "Although I would be happy to let you know should the situation change." At that, Kagome's blush darkened considerably. The children were all confused but the servants were shocked at the playful tone in their Lord's voice. Never before had he been known to flirt and for him to flirt with a human? Unthinkable! "Until then though, I expect that you have questions about the marks given by my sons." He sent a quick glare at the frozen servants who were still staring in shock. They immediately started moving again, one picking up the unfortunate girl who had fainted.

Once Kagome was able to get her blush under control and get over her shock she nodded slowly. "I would very much like it if you could explain them for me."

"My sons have bonded themselves to you by mixing their blood with yours. Yoshikazu, would you like to explain how you did it?"

"Yes father. La…I mean, Kagome, as we had said before each line was given by one of us. First I cut a line in your arm, the top one as I went first, and then I cut the pad of my thumb and ran it along the cut, mixing our blood. As my thumb passed, the cut sealed and was replaced by the mark. Each of us repeated this."

"Okay, but what exactly does it mean?" Kagome asked, looking from the boys to Sesshoumaru and back, her embarrassment forgotten in her curiosity.

"The mark connects you to them. From now on if you are in danger they will know. Other demons will sense the mark and know that you are protected. It also marks you as a part of our pack, not that you were not already."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that no matter how I dislike it, Inuyasha is a part of my pack and you and your other companions are a part of his pack, thus making you all a part of my pack as well. Now though, it is official. You are now a permanent part of our pack."

"Will Inuyasha be able to sense it then?" Suddenly Kagome looked nervous and the pups were all afraid that they had done something wrong.

"I am not sure if, as a half-demon, he will be able to sense it or not. If he does, he may not know what it means. I can teach you how to make the marks invisible so you will not have to explain them if they were seen and not sensed."

"Ka…Kagome? Did…did we make you upset? I'm sorry! We should have asked you first!" Hisoka looked and sounded close to tears. Kagome immediately looked at him and then held her arms open for him. He nearly dove over Rin into Kagome's waiting arms and she held him tightly.

"No, Hisoka, sweetie, you didn't do anything wrong. I am honored by your gift. It's just that, well, I travel with Inuyasha and he and your father don't get along well and I'm not sure how I am going to explain my absence. Add to that the fact that I have been here with one he considers an enemy and even worse, the whole Kikyo thing, and I know he is going to be furious with me. I don't know if he will be able to forgive me. He will think I betrayed him. But you boys did nothing wrong. I will figure something out." Hisoka melted in her hold as she ran her fingers through his hair. Realizing what she was doing she looked up suddenly to Sesshoumaru, expecting to see anger at her holding his son, but the look on his face was soft and contemplative. She glanced at the others and saw a slightly jealous look on their faces before they managed to hide it.

"Kagome, I will help you decide what to tell the hanyou. Do not worry. I do not think that he would know what he was sensing if he could in fact sense it. Humans should not be able to sense it at all, although the monk may but he keeps your secrets well. You need only worry about the kit and the fire cat.

Now, since everyone has finished eating, Rin, pups, it is time for your morning lessons." The boys let out low groans but moved to stand anyway. Hisoka gave Kagome one more tight hug before leaving her embrace. Kagome stood and gave Rin a hug and promised to see them all later.

"Miko…Kagome," Sesshoumaru quickly corrected himself. It would not do to call her miko. He remembered clearly the times she subjugated his brother when he called her out of her given name. He did not want to incur her anger, not now when he was trying to impress her. "Would you please join me for a walk in the gardens? There are things to discuss."

Kagome nodded and followed him out of the dining room and into the hall.

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Inuyasha and the other shard hunters were growing more and more afraid for the safety of Kagome as they searched the south. Searching was much easier with Inuyasha's powerful nose, allowing them to cover ground a lot faster but they still had no luck. They searched straight through the night but no sign of Kagome was found. Finally they decided to return to the village once more, hoping that perhaps Kouga or his pack may have found her and she would be awaiting their return safe with Kaede once more. But first they needed to rest, if only for a few hours.

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Kouga was heading to the West as fast as he could. He knew though that he had to be careful. Lord Sesshoumaru ruled over the Western Lands and he did not seem to like Prince Kouga, though he had no idea why the Lord felt such contempt for him. Kouga decided he would check everywhere else first before he would search close to the Palace Moon. There was no chance that Kagome would be there anyway. Sesshoumaru was well known for both his hatred of humans and his hatred for his brother so he would never allow his brother's wench anywhere near his home and stronghold. He still had to take extra care though, so he decided to rest for just a few hours before crossing the western border so if he did happen to encounter Sesshoumaru he would be in good shape and not completely exhausted.

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There was quite a bit of chatter going around the palace as news of their Lord's actions during the morning meal spread. Down in the kitchen where many servants had gathered they were discussing Sesshoumaru's strange behavior.

"Ever since the young Lords were cursed and Lord Sesshoumaru left to retrieve the miko he has been acting strange!"

"Did you hear that she travels with the Lord's brother Inuyasha?" A gasp was heard from a few who had not been present for the breakfast show. "Not only that, he allowed the girl to speak to him in a most disrespectful way. I was sure she would be beheaded right there at the table but he smiled at her! Can you believe it?"

"Oh, but the smile wasn't the strangest thing! Don't forget what he said! I swear he was flirting with her!"

"Hold your tongue girl! If the Lord heard you saying such he would surely remove it for its treachery!"

"But it's true! I saw it with my very eyes and heard it too!"

"Well, do you know what I heard? I heard that he has not slept in his own chambers since she arrived. He, as well as the young lords, has been spending the night in the same chambers as the miko!"

"And you know what chambers they are as well, don't you? No one had been in that room for over a hundred years besides the Lord himself! And suddenly he ordered it prepared for a human? I'm beginning to worry about him."

"Maybe the Lord fancies the miko?" The gasps of shock from everyone else present were stopped in an instant as a loud voice was heard.

"You all, you had better get back to work and stop your vicious lies before I bring your words to the attention of my Lord Sesshoumaru! You all do not deserve the privilege to serve him, spreading gossip! If I hear it again you all will be sure to regret it." While they usually did not pay any mind to the toad, today his words seemed to ring true, causing the servants to scatter. "Hmpf. To think that Lord Sesshoumaru would fancy a human, his brother's miko wench! Never!" Jaken muttered to himself before suddenly realizing he was supposed to be delivering the gift to the gardens, right now!

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Hiromi knew that she had things to do now. Finally the chain of events had begun and she had to be ready for her daughter's return home. There were things Kagome needed to be told, things she had to be given, and she knew that Kagome would not take it well at all. She had spoken with grandpa last night after Souta had gone to sleep and let him know it would soon be time. They had been worried. It had taken much longer than any had expected and in the mean time Naraku had gained strength. They knew the task before Kagome would be difficult and long but they also knew she would succeed just as she was destined to. They just had to be sure to time their part just right. Certain things had to happen first, but others could not have happened yet. They had to time it perfectly but thankfully they would know through the ancient scroll and Hiromi's use of her seeing stone when it was time. So far one requirement had been met but there were still two more to come.


	15. I Must Be Dead and First Blessings

Chapter 15 – I Must Be Dead and First Blessings

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Inuyasha & co. belong to the illustrious Rumiko Takahashi. I do, however, own all my original characters and this plotline.**

**Chapter 15 – I Must Be Dead and First Blessings**

Kagome was in shock, or dreaming. Yeah! That had to be it. She must be dreaming because there was absolutely no way that she was walking arm in arm with Inuyasha's full demon older half brother through the halls of his palace while sporting a new blush just thinking about his flirtatious comments. She had to be dreaming or maybe she was dead. Yes! Now that would certainly explain it. She had to be dead because not even in her wildest dream would the silver haired Adonis that is Sesshoumaru flirt with her or allow her to touch his person, let alone instigate it. Yes, it was decided. She was dead. Oh well, then she might as well enjoy it.

Sesshoumaru walked alongside the flustered Kagome, attempting to follow her thoughts by the changes in her scent. She smelled overwhelmingly confused and then embarrassed. He glanced over to catch the blush spreading once again across her delicate cheekbones. Then it seemed she went back to confused, then slightly depressed. However, he was quite pleasantly surprised when her scent shifted from depressed to happy and what was that? He took in a deeper pull of her scent and nearly fell over. She was aroused! What in the world was the girl thinking over there?

Right now he really wished he could see into her mind as he had been able to do when she was still unconscious, but she now only held a tiny bit of his youki, not enough it seemed to allow him access to her thoughts. Somehow though, they had still shared another dream. He made a mental note to look in the library to figure out why she had held onto a part of his youki and what to do about it but the thought left as quickly as it came as her scent spiked again. He very nearly stumbled as his head got fuzzy, swimming in the most wonderful scent he had ever experienced. Once again his beast was purring, very pleased with its current environment.

And what was Kagome thinking that was causing her scent to spike so? She had allowed her mind to drift to the dream she had been having right before she woke, about how his lips felt pressed against hers, and she began to imagine just what it would feel like to really kiss him. Then add to that how nice it had felt to wake up in his arm with his body pressed tightly against her own and you end up with an obviously aroused Kagome. She was dead after all, so she wasn't worried a bit about any consequences of her thoughts. Since this wasn't really happening then it didn't matter if he picked up a change in her scent. It might even make things more interesting. Nope, being dead had its benefits. She sighed aloud and brought her right arm up and began to caress his only arm, the arm that was looped through her left. She watched as he turned to look at her. He had surprise in his eyes, eyes that were tinted pink along the edges. She heard a rumbling sound and looked around for a moment before she realized it was coming from him. **THE** **Great** Lord Sesshoumaru was purring at her touch. If she hadn't already been convinced that she was dead, she definitely was now.

It was then she noticed that they'd stopped walking and took the time to look around. She was definitely dead. No way did Sesshoumaru have gardens this beautiful. No, she was in heaven. There was no other explanation. He guided her to a stone bench located in the shade of a sakura tree and motioned for her to sit before sitting beside her. She took a moment to look around before turning to look at him. The garden was beautiful. It was surrounded by a waist high wrought iron fence that was covered in blooming vines. There were more types of flowers than she had ever seen in one place before. Off to the right there was a white marble fountain and to the left was a pond with a bridge crossing over it to continue on to more beds of flowers. The grass at her feet was a bright healthy green and there were trees strategically located, giving shade from the bright sun. When she finally looked over at him, he was smiling again.

"I take it you like the garden?" he asked softly. "This was my mother's favorite spot, under this very tree."

"It is a beautiful garden. I can see why she liked it." They looked into each other's eyes for what seemed like hours before they spoke again.

"I have a gift for you. Two actually if you choose to accept the second." He smiled again before turning his head and shouting "Jaken!"

Jaken came scrambling out of the palace doors at top speed. He'd barely made it up from the kitchens in time! He was moving his short little legs so fast that he tripped on a tree root and went flying. What he had been holding also went flying but before Kagome could get out a gasp Sesshoumaru had shot up and caught the flying item. He glared down at the thoroughly prostrated toad who was apologizing profusely before stepping on him while returning to the bench. Jaken squawked for a moment, though the sound was quite muffled, flailing his arms and legs as he tried to pry his face out of the dirt where it had become embedded when his lord had stepped on him. When he finally managed to extricate himself he started to apologize again but when Sesshoumaru shot him a look promising death he ran for his little green life. If one had looked at the ground where he had been, one would have found a perfect Jaken beak mold, just add plaster, not that anyone would want a Jaken sculpture. The perfection of the impression of his face was quite amazing. Of course anything Sesshoumaru did turned out perfectly; at least he liked to believe so.

Kagome found herself giggling uncontrollably as the little toad fled. Then it dawned on her that as funny as it was, Jaken would most definitely not be present in any dreams of hers, at least not good ones, and was most definitely not included in her idea of heaven. She paled instantly. She had been flirting openly with Sesshoumaru! "Sesshoumaru?" she whispered so low his demon hearing almost missed it. "I'm not dreaming and I'm not dead, am I?"

Confusion slid into his gaze for a moment as he heard her question, before his eyes danced in amusement once more as he realized what she was asking. "No Kagome, I assure you that you are quite awake, most definitely alive, and most assuredly delightfully delicious smelling." He almost laughed aloud as he watched her pale face flood with blood until she looked like a tomato. She groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Why so embarrassed, Kagome?" She shot a glare at him, noting the tiny smirk on his lips before huffing and looking away towards the flowers again.

Sesshoumaru smirked even wider and held out the rescued item to Kagome. She looked it over for a moment before accepting it. It was a basket wrapped in silver and blue silk which was tied in an elegant bow over the top of the handle. Kagome looked to him for permission. He nodded and she began to untie the beautiful bow. She paused though when she heard a small whimpering sound. Looking around and finding no source for the noise she continued. She lowered the silk wrappings and looked on in stunned silence for a moment, her embarrassment completely forgotten. In the basket was…

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Inuyasha was fuming. They had rested for two hours and he felt totally refreshed and ready to go but Miroku and Sango were a different story. No amount of poking and prodding could get them to move but that didn't stop the hard headed hanyou. No, he kept on poking and prodding tirelessly until finally Sango rose to her feet.

"It's about damn time, wench! We don't have fuckin' time to waste lying around! Kagome is missing, remember?! She could be in trouble right now!"

"Inuyasha…" The warning could clearly be heard in Sango's voice and Miroku was quite interested to see Sango hit someone other than himself for a change. He sat up silently and watched the scene continue. "I am only going to say this once. Miroku and I are **human**. We need more than two hours of rest in a two day period, especially when the two days were spent running all over Japan! Now leave us be. We will get up in a few more hours and then we will continue searching."

"Hell, no!" Inuyasha apparently didn't see the flames dancing around the now livid demon slayer. "You will get up now! I can't have you worthless humans slowing me down! I need to find Kagome!"

The pause floated heavily in the air around them and all that could be heard was Sango's breathing. Miroku happened to be holding his breath, glad that it wasn't going to be him this time. "Inuyasha…" her voice was deceptively calm. "We have been looking for Kagome for **days **longer than you have!" Her voice was slowly rising until she was screaming, causing Inuyasha's ears to plaster to his head both from fear and to protect his sensitive hearing. "**We** were the ones waiting for her. **We** were the ones worried about her! **We** were most definitely **not** the one chasing after Kikyo. We **certainly** weren't the one who forgot all about Kagome for a **whole week!** Just because you decide to be concerned **now** does **not** make you the hero! You could have prevented all of this. If you had been back when you **said** you would be then Kagome wouldn't have been taken on her way to the village. She wouldn't be in danger. So don't you **dare** try to make this our fault! The only one at fault here is whoever took her and **YOU!**" She turned on her heel and returned to where she had been laying. Miroku and Inuyasha made eye contact for a few moments before Inuyasha huffed and dove into a tree overhead, muttering to himself. Miroku smirked. Every now and then he needed to be put in his place and without Kagome around to 'sit' him, Miroku thought that his Sango did an excellent job of it.

Inuyasha sat in his tree sulking. Sango was right. It was entirely his fault. He failed Kagome. He let her get kidnapped again all because he couldn't let go of Kikyo. All the things Sesshoumaru had shown him flashed before his eyes again and once again he found himself disgusted with his own words and actions. He had to find her. He had to find her and then find some way to make it all up to her. He just had to.

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Morning lessons were not going so well. No matter how hard they tried, their instructors could not keep the attention of the pups and Rin. They squirmed in their seats and whispered to each other. After demanding silence and attention for the fifth time in the half hour they had been there they finally gave up and told the young ones to read in groups. Of course they knew that there was no chance of actual reading but it was the only way to stop the stress and allow the pups their freedom without sounding like they were giving in, or so the instructors hoped.

Immediately all eight children gathered in a circle to talk. They had plans to make. They were determined to find a way to keep Kagome as their mother. Once Rin heard this she instantly agreed. She proceeded to sate their curiosity by telling the boys everything she knew about the pretty miko and her companions. They listen intently, encouraging her to leave nothing out. She told them of the times she has encountered Kagome and her friends, conveying her impressions of the others in her group. She told them all she had been told by Jaken about Inuyasha and the Jewel, how they were collecting the shards and searching for Naraku which happened to be the mission she had mentioned this morning, and of how Kagome had saved and protected her on several occasions. She also told them about her friend Shippo who seemed to consider the miko his mother, even if she had never heard him say it. Once again a ripple of jealousy ran through the boys. She had taken in the kit and played mother to him but she had refused them. Were they not good enough for her?

Hisoka started to cry softly and was soon being comforted by big sister Rin, as they called her secretly when no one was around to hear.

"Hisoka, do not cry. Kagome has a big heart. There is room for all of us." Rin held him close and ran her hands through his hair just as Kagome had done not long ago.

"We understand. It's just; we all want her to be our mother. It's obvious that father has an interest in her but I'm afraid he will not swallow his pride and let her know. She will be leaving us soon and then who knows when we will see her again," Yoshi spoke once again for them all, voicing their greatest fears.

"She will return to her pack and forget all about us," Yuudai whined.

"No she won't. Kagome could never forget you. She has never forgotten Rin." Rin tried her best to reassure the young pups but it didn't seem to help much. The sadness in the room was thick in the air when Jaken entered, still wiping dirt from his face and clothes.

"What is wrong with all of you?" he demanded. It wouldn't be good for him if his master found his pups in this state. "Why are you not doing your studies?" He cast a disapproving glare at the hired instructors who were huddled together off in a quiet corner of the library chatting amongst themselves about the interesting turn of events in the palace. They barely acknowledged his presence and offered no explanation.

"Nothing is wrong, Jaken. Go bother someone else," Yoshi snapped at him, causing the toad's large yellow eyes to bulge even more than usual before he turned and rushed out, deciding to find a nice place to hide until everyone returned to normal, for surely they had all lost their minds!

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"It's a puppy," Kagome said, stating the obvious. The little thing was rather cute. The silk wrapped basket held a little bundle of black fur with blood red markings on the tips of her ears, in bands around her paws, and striped through her fluffy tail. Her eyes were a strikingly soft grayish-blue.

"Yes, she is a puppy but she is much more than that. Kazue is very similar to your slayer friend's fire cat. She is a demon with no human form and she will protect you with her very life."

"Oh, that's sweet Sesshoumaru, but how will I explain this to the others?"

"We will think of something. Kazue is very special. Let her show you. Kazue, transform."

The little ball of black fur jumped from the basket held in Kagome's lap to the ground a short distance away. Suddenly there was a bright light shining through a light blue mist and when it cleared, Kazue was revealed in her larger form. Her coloring was still the same except that there were misty blue clouds surrounding her feet. She took off to the sky and flew in a small circle above them before landing and returning to her smaller form once again in a flash of blue mist. She jumped up onto Sesshoumaru's shoulder and whimpered quietly.

"Here, let me teach you how to communicate with her. The two of you need to make a connection, similar to that made with my pups. I believe the slayer has a similar connection with the neko, although I do not believe the slayer can speak with the neko as you will be able to speak with Kazue." The puppy leapt into Kagome's lap from the demon lord's shoulder and stared into the miko's eyes. Sesshoumaru gently took hold of Kagome's right hand and carefully cut a small line in the center of her palm. He was so gentle in fact that Kagome didn't even feel the cut. "This will not leave a visible mark on you but it will form a similar connection. Kazue lifted her front left leg and allowed Sesshoumaru to cut a small line in the pad of her paw. She then placed her paw directly over the small pool of blood forming in Kagome's palm. There was a flash of pink and blue light that rose from her hand and swirled around Kagome's form before settling around Kazue, who now had a small pink teardrop under her left eye just like the mark on the pups.

'Hello, my Lady.' Kagome jumped when she heard the soft feminine voice in her head. She looked to Sesshoumaru who nodded.

"You do not need to answer aloud for her to hear you. Just speak in your mind while thinking of her and she will hear you. She has the same connection with this Sesshoumaru, so if there is ever trouble she can communicate easily. I have however hidden the mark given by me so that your friends will not recognize it."

"Wow, really? This has got to be the coolest thing anyone has ever given me."

Sesshoumaru furrowed his brow. "Cool?"

Kagome looked at him and giggled. "Sorry, I meant that it's wonderful."

"You do have the strangest way of speaking sometimes. Why is that?"

Kagome froze at his question. She couldn't tell him! Even if she was starting to trust him she still couldn't tell him where she came from. There were just too many risks! "Umm, well… I suppose it's because I talk like the people from my home village."

Sesshoumaru knew something was up. She suddenly smelled nervous but she did not necessarily lie to him so he decided to let it go for now. He would have time to gain her trust in him and then she would share her secrets.

Kagome looked back to Kazue. 'So, I guess were going to be spending a lot of time together from now on, huh, Kazue?'

'Yes, my Lady. I am honored to be gifted to you by the Great Lord Sesshoumaru. You must be very special indeed and I will be with you always to keep you safe from any who may wish you harm.'

'Do me a favor? Just call me Kagome, okay? Are you sure you want to go with me? I have some very interesting friends.'

'Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru has informed me of your travel companions so that I know what to expect and can better protect you.'

'Well, I hope we can be good friends then since we are going to be together a lot.'

'I hope so as well La… I mean Kagome. I look forward to my time with you.'

Kagome turned and smiled at Sesshoumaru. He felt his heart constrict at the warmth of her smile, a smile just for him. He had made her happy and now he found himself wanting to do it again and again just to see that smile.

"The pups are on their way out to play, along with Rin. Please join me in my study this afternoon and we will discuss my other gift to you as well as what to do about your companions. There are things this Sesshoumaru must take care of or I may never see my desk again." He rose with a small smile and walked into the palace, barely avoiding being knocked down by the running children. They spotted her and in moments Kagome was ambushed by the overexcited group.

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Author's Note: Kazue means branch, first blessing, harmonious. I thought it was fitting as first blessing, she is the first gift Sesshoumaru gives Kagome. Plus it is short and starts with a K like Kirara.


	16. Kagome, Kagome Miko in a Mess

Chapter 16 – Kagome, Kagome Miko in a Mess

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Inuyasha & co. belong to the illustrious Rumiko Takahashi. I do, however, own all my original characters and this plotline.**

**Chapter 16 – Kagome, Kagome Miko in a Mess**

Kouga was running again, searching for his intended, his beautiful Miko Kagome. He had been running for a while when he suddenly caught her scent in the air. Following the tantalizing aroma he knew he was getting closer. Within moments he had spotted her. She was sitting at the base of a tree, eyes closed as if she were asleep. He skidded to a stop in front of her, taking in her appearance. She looked even more beautiful than usual, her dark lashes brushing her cheeks and her hair flowing gently in the breeze. Moving silently he knelt before her and watched as her ocean blue orbs were slowly revealed to him as her lashes lifted. When she caught sight of him a smile spread across her face.

"Oh Kouga, I knew you would come for me!"

"Of course, Kagome, my love! Are you well? Not hurt or anything?"

"No, Kouga, I'm perfectly fine now that you're here." Kagome leaned forward, wrapping an arm around his neck and pulling his face down to meet hers. She pressed her lips to his softly but once he felt her warmth he shifted positions and pulled her into his lap, holding her close to his chest and kissing her more forcefully. He felt her lips open slightly and he accepted the invitation, slipping his tongue into her mouth, tasting her, exploring every inch until he engaged her tongue in a gentle battle. When they had to separate to breathe he took in her appearance. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips moist and plump, begging for more of his attention. All in all she looked completely erotic, appearing more perfect now than in any dream or fantasy he had ever had.

"Where have you been Kagome? Everyone is worried, even dog-breath."

"I just couldn't take it anymore, Kouga. I couldn't stay with him anymore. I needed you, Kouga, I needed to find you. I couldn't be with that stupid hanyou for one more second. I needed a real demon like you. So I decided to leave and look for you. I knew with your **powerful** demon senses you would be able to find me. You always do. Kouga, please, don't make me go back to him. Let me stay with you."

"Kagome, you don't know how long I have been waiting to hear you say that. Of course you can stay with me. I'll make you my mate and you will always be safe and protected with my pack."

"Yes, Kouga, please, make me your mate. I don't think I can wait any longer." Her voice was low and seductive as she whispered her pleas in his delicately pointed ear. One of her hands slid down his chest and was working on loosening his armor. The other reached up and let his hair loose before she tangled her fist in his locks and pulled him back for a deep kiss full of promise, just a hint of what was to come. He allowed his hands to slide over her body as well, feeling her curves, soft and feminine in all the right places. One hand slipped under her shirt, claws gliding over the silky skin of her stomach before moving higher.

While his hand sought out her breasts, hers had moved on after successfully removing his chest plate. They were sliding lower and lower until they were under his furs. He tensed in anticipation of her touch and nearly melted beneath her as her small hands wrapped around his hard, pulsing need. Their kiss had broken again and he looked into her lust glazed eyes. He watched her lips as they opened to speak.

"Squawk!" Kouga was confused. Did she just squawk at him? Eh, it didn't matter too much. Her hands were still wrapped around him, moving slowly, teasing his hot skin.

"Squawk!" That time she squawked even louder but he fought to ignore the oddity of the sound.

Using a claw he sliced down the front of her shirt to expose her skin to his explorations. He refused to even think of encouraging her to move her hands so he could pull her shirt off the right way. No, those hands felt way too good where they were. He found himself whirling dangerously close to completion at just the simple soft touch of her hands.

"Oh Kagome, that feels so good. Don't stop!"

She continued to stroke him while leaning in for another kiss. Her lips had almost touched his when, "SQUAWK!"

Kouga jumped before sitting up and looking around. Where was she? She had been there just a second ago. When his vision adjusted and he could see where he was he let out a disappointed sigh. It had been just a dream. Again! When, he wanted to know when would it finally not be a dream? He heard the birds squawking outside the small cave he had been resting in. _'Damn birds! Just had to interrupt! It was getting good, too! Oh well, a dream is better than nothing.'_ He lay back, closing his eyes, hoping to start the dream right where it had left off.

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"Kagome, Kagome, will you play with us?" Isamu pleaded while hopping around in front of her.

"Of course I will." Kagome smiled warmly at them all as they cheered. "Do you want me to teach you a game?"

"Yes, yes, please!" The children cried out in a chorus of happy voices. Kagome couldn't help but smile wider. "What game are you going to teach us?" Akihiro inquired.

"Well, how about I teach you the game that I share my name with? Isamu made me think of it." Once again the children cheered. "Okay, well then we need to pick who gets to be 'it' first. How about you Isamu, since you reminded me of it?" Isamu nodded. Okay then. You sit here and cover your eyes. Everyone else stand in a circle around Isamu and we all hold hands." When everyone was arranged she continued. "Okay, now we sing a little song while we walk around in the circle around Isamu. When the song is over Isamu, you guess who is behind you. If you're right then they become it and trade places. If not, we go again until you are right. I'm not quite sure how fair this will be with your demon senses though. Oh well. I'll sing the song the first time,and you all try to remember the words, okay?" They group began circling Isamu as Kagome sang the song:

"Kagome, Kagome, the bird in the cage,

when will you come out?

In the evening of the dawn,

the crane and turtle slipped.

Who stands right behind you now?"

They stopped moving and Isamu took a guess. This went on for quite a while, everyone having a turn to be it. No one saw Sesshoumaru standing in the window of his study smiling down on the woman he craved playing with his pups and Rin, looking for all intents and purposes to be their mother, just as he knew they all desired. And he did too. They looked so happy that he couldn't keep the huge smile from escaping no matter how hard he tried. It seemed that as long as Kagome was present his stoic mask would be impossible and yet he just couldn't make himself care.

After the group tired of "Kagome, Kagome", the miko of the same name taught them how to play tag and she sat and watched them run and laugh. She noticed that when Rin was it all the pups moved at a slower pace to be fair. She suddenly felt very proud of them, even though she didn't quite know how that feeling snuck in there. She had been trying not to get attached, knowing she had to leave them, but it was just too hard. She had become attached to Rin at their first meeting and the pups shared an even more intimate bond with her, making keeping an emotional distance impossible. While she sat she contemplated her situation and what she could tell Inuyasha and the others about where she had been all this time. Inuyasha was sure to be mad. Suddenly the thought struck her. Kikyo was dead. Inuyasha had to be devastated. The miko found herself regretting this and even though she no longer suffered the pain of missing a part of her soul, even though Kikyo had to die for her to live, Kagome still felt guilty. It was her fault that Inuyasha's love was lost to him once again, this time killed by his own brother. She decided she would have to ask Sesshoumaru about it so she at least knew what to expect. Did Inuyasha even know?

'_Sango, Miroku and Shippo must be worried. I wonder if Inuyasha went and talked to Mama. Oh, if he did, then she must be freaking out by now! I need to go back as soon as possible. Things are such a mess!'_

She spent the late morning hours searching for any excuse that they would believe for why she had been gone and where she had been, all while watching over the children playing. Eventually Rin tired out and came to sit beside Kagome after picking a large bundle of flowers. Kagome watched as Rin made flower crowns still in deep thought, all the while running her hands through Kazue's soft black and red fur.

'_I can't tell them I was with Sesshoumaru, that's for sure. Inuyasha would freak. He would probably think I betrayed him. But then what?'_

She searched and searched for ideas and finally decided on one. She would tell them she had been met on her way to Kaede's by someone from a nearby village who needed help. She went with them and ended up healing some injured villagers, overdid it and had to rest before she could return. She had even figured out what to say about Kazue. She came across her in the village, fed her, and now the inu refused to leave her side. She wouldn't tell them that she could communicate with her. They didn't need to know that, at least not right away. Now about the marks. Sesshoumaru had told her he could teach her how to make them invisible but that full demons would sense it. Kirara couldn't tell anyone and if Shippo mentioned it, she would tell him but have him keep it a secret. If Miroku noticed, well, he was good at keeping confidences, that she knew for sure. Just so long as Inuyasha didn't notice. If he did, she had no idea how to explain it away.

Kagome almost missed it when a servant called them in for lunch. She followed the children inside and helped them wash up, Kazue riding on her shoulder just like Kirara sometimes did. Lunch was a noisy affair. Sesshoumaru did not attend so the children spent the time asking Kagome question after question about her adventures, her companions, and her family, everything they could think of. By the time lunch was finished Kagome was slightly relieved that they would be going for afternoon lessons and she would have some quiet time to speak with Sesshoumaru. She enlisted the aide of a servant to lead her to Sesshoumaru's study where she knocked quietly and waited.

She heard a quiet "Enter" and she pushed the door open. Again, like the dining room, the double doors were solid wood and she had to give quite a shove before the door opened a crack and she slid her way in, pushing the door closed behind her.

She looked around the room for a moment, taking it all in. The room's center of attention was a large low desk, with pillows in the front for guests and a silver haired demon lord seated on the other side, appearing to be attentively reading a scroll. She did not see his eyes peek over it at her while she continued her perusal of the room. The wall opposite the door was lined with shelves filled with scrolls and some ancient looking bound books as well. The wall behind Sesshoumaru was covered from floor to ceiling with a variety of antique looking weapons. It certainly gave the inu an air of power, sitting there surrounded by weapons. The wall opposite the weapon shrine was filled with a large set out double doors with large windows in them which led out to a balcony. She walked towards the balcony, noticing that the study overlooked the garden where she had spent her morning hours. The wall that held the door she had entered through held a fireplace to its right with large overstuffed pillows in front of it and to the left was a large set of drawers, the top surface covered with more scrolls as well as blank writing paper, extra ink wells and brushes. Hanging above the chest of drawers was a huge ancient looking map of Japan, showing the borders of the lands as well as points of interest.

Kagome found herself drawn to the map and soon was standing in front of it studying it closely, oblivious to the inu staring intently at her ass as she leaned closer to read the smaller characters, bending over the chest of drawers to do so. She found the Western fortress and her current location and then began trying to determine where the Bone Eater's Well would be. Sesshoumaru sensed her growing frustration and rose to stand behind her.

"What exactly is it that you are looking for, Kagome?" His breath slid across the right side of her neck and her ear as he leaned in closer. Despite her best attempt she failed to suppress the tingle that spread from her ear straight down her spine, causing a shudder that swept through her entire body.

Now she was nervous. He was very, **very** close to her! Finally she found the ability to form words. "I'm looking for Inuyasha's forest, Kaede's village, and the Bone Eater's Well. I guess I'm just curious to see how far away I really am."

Deciding to take further advantage of the situation, Sesshoumaru slid his arm around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest before reaching out to point to a location on the map. "This area here is what is called Inuyasha's forest." He moved his finger slightly and pointed again. "This is the village of the elder miko you call Kaede." He moved once more, just a bit. "And here is the Bone Eater's Well." Kagome noticed that the well seemed to be smack dab in the center of the country. She had never noticed that before. With all the traveling that they had done, she had never really taken the time to look at a map and see where they had been. She continued to study the map, taking note of familiar landmarks. She was ripped from her musing however by a soft warm breeze blowing past her right ear, followed by wet warmth tracing the shell of her ear. She froze.

'_Sesshoumaru did not just lick my ear. That is just not possible! I must be hallucinating!!'_

"Kagome, come sit so we may speak." When Kagome finally dug up the courage to turn around she found the demon lord to have returned to his seat at the desk. Slowly, while looking at him suspiciously, she moved to the opposite side of the desk and settled herself on an especially uncomfortable looking pillow.

'_Probably uncomfortable for a reason. Get people in and out; keep people uncomfortable so they may be distracted from their purpose. Surely political reasons. But damn, this pillow sucks!'_

Sesshoumaru began speaking, first asking her if she had thought on when she would like to leave. He had been surprised and surprisingly hurt when she asked if she could possibly leave tomorrow. He found himself searching for excuses to keep here with him but could not find a valid one. Sighing audibly, he moved on to what she intended to tell her friends. She informed him of what she had come up with while thinking in the garden and he agreed that while not great, they were probably the best explanations they would come up with, well, besides the truth which Kagome obviously could not tell. He found that it hurt in his chest when he thought of Kagome lying about spending time with him, hiding their time together. He wanted the world to know what she meant to him but he figured she would need to know first or things could get a little messy.

Deciding to move on and bury that line of thought for the time being, he taught her how to hide the marks given by his sons. Another tug. She had to hide the evidence of her bond with his pups all because of the hanyou. Once again he had to push the depressing thought away for the time being. Finally he came to his real purpose for their meeting.

He took a deep breath before beginning. "Kagome, if you would allow it I would like to mark you in a similar manner as my pups. This Sesshoumaru owes you a great debt and with a mark, not only would I know if you needed help or were in danger, but also the mark alone would deter most lesser demons from attacking you. The mark could be hidden the same way. I wanted to ask your permission first. I will understand if you do not want a connection with this Sesshoumaru, as I have attempted to harm you in the past."

"Melt me is more like it," Kagome muttered under her breath, but a quick glance told her that he had heard.

"This Sesshoumaru deeply apologizes for all the times I have attempted to harm you. I truly wish they had not occurred. I would now pledge my life to your protection just as my pups have done, as well as Kazue. Will you allow this?"

"Don't worry about it Sesshoumaru. I forgive you. Every one of my friends has either tried to kill me, kidnap me, or take my jewel shards, and I made friends with all of them anyway. I hope we can be friends now too, despite your relationship with Inuyasha. If it means that much to you, then yes you may mark me." Kagome was nervous but the idea of demons leaving her alone was too good to pass up. She was tired of constantly being attacked like she was a walking target.

Sesshoumaru let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when she forgave him. It felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of him. He felt even better when she offered friendship. It wasn't quite what he wanted but it was a start nonetheless. To top it off, she had agreed to him marking her. He was thrilled that the connection that had been lost when he removed his youki would be returned, even if not exactly the same. Ever since he lost it, he had felt an emptiness within.

"Where will you put your mark?" Kagome was intrigued by the whole marking business. Inuyasha had never mentioned it, nor had Shippo. Kagome wondered why neither had brought it up if it would help protect each other. Maybe they didn't know. After all, Inuyasha had pretty much raised himself so demon traditions were lost on him and Shippo was orphaned young so maybe he had yet to learn about it. If she kept it up like this, her whole body would be covered in demon tattoos!

This was something Sesshoumaru had given a lot of thought. The location of the mark added to its meaning and while he knew where he **wanted** to put his mark, he couldn't, at least not yet. Even the idiot hanyou wouldn't be able to miss a mating mark and that was definitely what he would like to give her. He finally decided on a semi-symbolic area, dead center on her upper chest. He told her of the location and explained what he would do. The process was a little different but not much. Once they had discussed it she gave him the go-ahead and the Great Lord Sesshoumaru, Taiyoukai and Ruler of the Western Lands proceeded to mark a human miko as pack, an event for the history books if every there was one. When he was finished they both looked at the mark, although to be honest, Sesshoumaru was looking a little lower. The mark was beautiful. There was a dark blue crescent moon, tilted slightly on its side so that the opening pointed up and towards her left side. A soft blue cloud surrounded and partially covered the lower half of the crescent and a magenta star was off to the right of the moon (when facing her, or closer to her left arm) and slightly above the border of the cloud. It was about three inches by three inches total in size.

Kagome loved the mark and let Sesshoumaru know it with a huge smile and a quick hug, both of which pleased him beyond all means, but he kept that to himself. She then practiced hiding her marks like he had taught her and she did it successfully. She decided to leave the marks visible until she left. Why hide them here anyway? Sesshoumaru promised to take her back to Kaede's village after breakfast in the morning and then led her to the library for some private time.

The library was gigantic and silent as the children took their afternoon lessons outside when the weather permitted. The walls were high, just like in the dining room and lined with shelves nearly to the ceiling. The walls were all covered in the dark red wood of the shelves. One end of the room had large windows but the heavy dark green curtains were currently drawn. When she entered the room, the countless candles in the chandeliers above lit on their own, giving more than enough light. There was a fireplace on one of the walls, also surrounded by shelves. Large sitting pillows were strewn about in strategic locations. Kagome found herself browsing through titles, looking for something that would catch her eye and her interest for a while. Finally she found one titled "Miko Spells". She flipped through carefully, seeing that it was full of things that might come in handy. Deciding that this would do, Kagome lowered herself to a comfortable pillow and began reading.

Author's Note: The game Kagome, Kagome is real. I came across it on Wikepedia and thought it was just too good not to use.


	17. Midnight Meetings

**Chapter 17 – Midnight Meetings**

Shippo had been running since dawn, and it was now getting dark. His little legs were tired and he was out of breath. While he had running, he had been oblivious to the branches that had caught at his clothing leaving tears behind. He had some small cuts as well on his arms and legs, but they were healing. His mess of hair was wild, and full of twigs and leaves. Slowing to catch his breath for a moment, he took the time to observe his surroundings. The forest was suddenly very scary for the kit who had learned to rely on his pack of protectors. Now he was beginning to question the wisdom of running off without telling anyone, with no supplies, and with no knowledge of where he was really going. He was exhausted. He had never run so far, so fast in all of his young life. Looking around in the fading light, he found a hollow in the bottom of a large tree, and decided to hide out for the night. He would continue his search in the morning, when it was at least a little safer. He crawled in and pulled dried leaves and other debris from the forest floor, making a soft bed in the hollow space, and blocking the opening as much as possible, in hopes that no predators would come by and think him an easy meal. It was within moments that the kit had succumbed to his exhaustion and slipped into darkness, even his mind too tired to haunt him with troubled dreams.

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Finally, Miroku and Sango were able to get up and actually function. Inuyasha had left them alone, surprisingly enough, after Sango's outburst, but he was happy to finally be up and moving again. His feelings and thoughts haunted him less when he could focus his mind on running and searching for Kagome's scent. When he had been forced to sit in one place for so long, his brain found the perfect opportunity to torture him further with guilt. They were all worried, though, and without delay, the group was up and running, well, Inuyasha was running. Miroku and Sango were riding Kirara, all on their way back to the village, hoping and praying that Kagome had returned on her own somehow safe, or that Kouga had found her. Anything was better than thinking on what would happen if Naraku was the first to find her.

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Kouga awoke again from his rest, this time on purpose, as the sun was setting over the horizon. He stood and stretched, his mind still feeding him images from his latest and best dream yet, before steeling his nerves and heading across the border into the western territories. He hadn't gone far, though, before he caught a familiar scent. It was faint, but he was sure it was the sweet strawberries and cream smell of his Kagome. He turned in the direction, without giving a thought to where it was he was heading, and he was off in a funnel cloud of dust and debris, courtesy of the power of the Shikon shards in his legs. He **would** be the one to find her, rescue her from whatever had taken her, and he was sure she would be so grateful, he would have her as his mate before the sun rose again.

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The castle was settling down to sleep. Dinner had been interesting, with the pups all excited over her new mark, asking questions and telling her about their lessons. All the while Sesshoumaru sat at the head of the table, slowly sipping his sake, silently observing it all, taking in the sight of her on his right, talking with his pups and his Rin. It looked like a real family dinner, and he spent the time memorizing the scene. It was too perfect to forget. After dinner, and some begging, Kagome agreed to tell the children a bedtime story and to tuck them all in. When they had heard she would be leaving in the morning, it was nearly impossible to separate them from her at all, but finally, after an improvised rendition of Beauty and the Beast, which had them all hanging on her every word, she kissed each one on the forehead and whispered sweet dreams, and crept out of the room, only to run face first into a hard white wall, or at least, it felt like a wall. When Kagome finally finished rubbing her now sore nose and cursing under her breath she looked up, only to blush furiously.

"My, my, Kagome. Such language from a miko! You have indeed spent too much time with the half-breed. Come, I will walk you to your chambers so you make it before dawn." Sesshoumaru give her a quick smirk before holding out his arm, which she hesitantly accepted.

"Hey, now! It's not my fault this place is a maze! I could have found my room!"

"While it **is** possible, this Sesshoumaru has his doubts. My pups have become more attached to you than I had thought possible in such a short time. I foresee many fights with the hanyou in the future when they insist on visiting, another thing we will have to explain somehow."

"Eh, don't worry too much about it. Inuyasha won't give them a second thought. You know he isn't quite rational when it comes to you. He attacks first and asks questions never."

The deep chuckle that echoed through the empty halls startled Kagome for a moment, before she looked up at him and smiled. "You know, you should smile and laugh more often. It makes you seem less, oh I don't know…deadly?"

"Does it now? Well, I can't have that. After all, I am supposed to be the cold, ruthless Demon Lord. If I did not seem deadly, as you put it, then I would be disappointing my enemies." He shot her a smirk as he paused outside her door. "I will be in the room right next to yours, that door there at the end of the hall, if you have need of me. Sleep well, Ka-Go-Me"

The intensity of way he said her name before slipping off into the darkness made her knees weak and sent warmth spreading through her entire body. He was getting altogether too good at that. Somehow, she had the feeling she wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight.

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Sesshoumaru had been lying in his bed, tossing and turning for hours. It had to be midnight, if not later, but sleep would not find him. His thoughts swirled around in his head until they became tied in knots. He wanted her to stay, but he couldn't keep her here. He wanted to take her love from his brother, but his brother could not know she had been here at all. He wanted to rub their new 'friendship' as she called it in his brother's face, but he could not. It was all so frustrating, and he didn't know where to go from here. How could he show interest in her without the hanyou's interference? How could he spend time with her without the idiot throwing a fit? One thing was certain. Neither brother knew how to or enjoyed sharing.

After what seemed like forever contemplating his problems, he decided some fresh air would do him good. He would do a quick patrol of his lands, maybe find something to kill. Maybe that would make him feel better. Within minutes he was dressed, armored, armed, and ready. He leapt from his balcony and over the palace walls, not noticed by even his own guards.

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Kouga had been running towards the scent of Kagome for a while, but he could not get an exact fix on where she was. It was like her scent had been spread on the breeze, covering miles of forest. Finally, he took a moment to take in his location and froze in fear. Yes, even the Prince of the Eastern Wolf tribes had someone he feared, and right now, he was much closer to Lord Sesshoumaru's stronghold than he would like. He would have to be quiet, careful, and hide his scent and aura.

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Shippo awoke with a start. He didn't know why, at first, but then he felt it. There was a strong demon presence nearby that was trying to hide itself. Being an expert in demon magic, as all kitsune were, he could see through the cloaking. The demon was creeping closer. He was surprised he had not woken before, as the demon was quite close, but then he smelled it and understood. He was wrapped in Kagome's scent. It was heavy in the air, lying like a mist floating around the trees. Her scent must have kept him feeling safe and calm until the demon got too close. Shippo snuggled down deeper, trying to breathe as quietly as possibly, praying the demon wouldn't notice him.

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Kouga caught another familiar scent on the air, although there was a desperation carried in the scent he had never experienced from the little demon before. What in the world was Kagome's kit doing out here alone in the dark hiding in a hollow tree? He decided to investigate. If he saved Shippo, then Kagome was sure to be even more grateful than expected. Yes, it was decided, he would protect little Shippo, but first he had to find out why in the hell he was out here to begin with. It was just like that mutt to lose not one but two members of his pack. The wolf moved in closer to where he scented the little fox, trying his best not to frighten him. He most certainly didn't want to have to chase him. The kit would tell Kagome if he frightened him, and Kouga had seen Inuyasha get slammed into the ground enough to know that she protected the kit as her own. He was almost to the opening covered with leaves when he sensed another presence, this one also familiar, but definitely not one he was hoping to come across, rather the one he had been trying to avoid.

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Sesshoumaru was moving silently through his lands, lurking like a predator in search of prey, which is what he was at the moment. He and his beast had some pent up frustration they needed to let out, and he knew of no better way than killing rogue demons that thought they could run free in his lands. He had already taken out a small group of snake demons that had been approaching a nearby human village. Despite how he felt about the humans as a race, an opinion that was becoming weaker every day now, the village was still on his lands, and he would be damned before he would allow demons to raid it and kill his villagers. The chase had been fun. The first two he had managed to kill by simply sneaking up on the group and launching a surprise attack. The others though, had run for their very lives, spreading out and trying, hopelessly of course, to escape the overstressed dog demon. He had hunted them down and caught them one by one, and had enjoyed it immensely.

He had then been on his way home, when he caught the familiar and very unwelcome scent of wolf. He immediately turned and sped off into the direction where the wolf prince was, intent on removing him from his lands. He couldn't kill the mongrel, for political reasons, but that did not mean he had to allow the demon to roam his lands uninvited and unannounced. By the time the wolf came into sight, the scent of fear had flooded the clearing, drowning out any and all other scents. The wolf was apparently, and rightly so, petrified of him.

"Kouga, what is it you think you are doing creeping about my lands in the dead of night?" Sesshoumaru's mask was firmly in place and his voice was deadly calm and full of warning.

Kouga stuttered a few times before finally being able to make an intelligent response, well, as much as could be expected from a mangy wolf in fear for his life. "Lord Sesshoumaru," Kouga bowed low to the ground before continuing. "I apologize for my presence, but my intended has gone missing, and my pack has been searching all the lands for her. We think she may have been kidnapped."

"Oh, Princess Ayame is missing? I had not heard. I would have expected a message from her grandfather." Sesshoumaru heard Kouga gulp before answering.

"No, my Lord. Princess Ayame is not my intended. She only thinks she is. Thick headed that one is. No, my intended is the beautiful Shikon Miko, Kagome. Surely you have seen her. She travels with your broth…I mean you half-brother. He lost her somehow, and I intend to be the one to find her."

The vicious, blood curdling snarl that broke free from the demon Lord made the ookami youkai shake in his fur leggings. Little Shippo, who was hiding the whole time listening in, shivered and almost lost hold of his concealing spell, which he had immediately erected when he had detected the presence of who he now knew had been Kouga. Kouga looked surprised at the reaction, but then figured it had to be the brother thing. Really, he knew better than to mention Inuyasha in Sesshoumaru's presence. He bowed low once again, and began apologizing profusely.

"I am so sorry, my Lord. I did not mean to mention the… I mean… I am sorry. I will leave your lands now." Kouga forget all about following Kagome's scent and the scent of her kit, turned tail, and ran as fast as his shard enhanced legs could carry him out of the western lands. When he had finally reached the eastern borders, he found himself a small cave and sat down to try to stop the fear induced quaking. He was lucky to get away alive.

Shippo didn't know what to do. Kouga was gone, but the demon lord remained, vicious snarls mixed with angry growls filling the air. He had never heard Sesshoumaru so angry. Hell, he had never experienced anything but indifference from the demon Lord, even when he was fighting with Inuyasha.

"His intended? The miko?" he snarled aloud.

'The wolf is delusional. If she had been claimed we would know,' his beast answered him inside his head.

The snarls continued for a while as his beast actually tried to calm him, a first, he was sure. How dare the wolf claim what was his? But then that was the problem wasn't it. She wasn't his yet, but he fully intended her to be. The wolf had nothing on him. Even if he had a valid claim on the girl, he would never win the courtship challenge. He probably would go running off with his tail between his legs, conceding without any fight at all. No, nothing would stand in his way. The wolf had brought important information though. Her friends have concluded that she had been kidnapped and were searching. He would have to be careful how he went about returning her to them. He did not want to cause problems for her, no matter how badly he wanted to show up the hanyou again. It would all come out eventually, and he simply needed to be patient.

Shippo was quaking like a leaf in a hurricane. He couldn't hold the concealment spell much longer, and he was sure that Sesshoumaru would kill him if he found him. The little kit was straining with all he was worth, but he was still weak after his run and his week of Kagome withdrawal, and he had been holding the spell for longer than he had ever imagined he could. Finally the spell fell.

Sesshoumaru whipped his head around, his nose sniffing intently. There was another demon here, one who had managed to stay hidden from him right under his nose! How was that possible? He stalked over to the tree, crouched down, and hauled the little demon out by his tail. He lifted the demon, now known to be a young kitsune, high in the air, so he could look at its face. The scent of fear and despair were thick, and he could tell the kit was exhausted. The little fox was covering his eyes with his paws, too afraid to even look at him. For a moment he contemplated killing the intruder, but then he remembered something. Deciding to check his theory he took a closer sniff, his proximity making the kit burst into tears. Yes, he was right. This was Kagome's kit.

"Kit, what are you doing hiding in my lands, alone. Were you with the wolf? Where are the half-breed and the rest of your pack?" Shippo continued to cry, near hysterical, gasping for breath. "Calm yourself kit. I will not harm you. Now answer this Sesshoumaru's questions. I will not repeat myself."

Shippo forcibly calmed himself, his sobs reduced to sniffles and hiccups, as he tried to answer as respectfully as possible. "My…my mama (sniff) Lord Sesshou(hick)maru. (Sniffle) She's been (hick) missing for more than (hick) a week now. I (sniffle) I finally could sense her (hick) again, and I ran to (sniffle) find her. The others (hick) (sniffle) left (sniffle) me behind!" Shippo burst into tears once more, and Sesshoumaru merely set the blubbering kit on his shoulder and began to walk away towards his palace. When Shippo had regained some semblance of control again he continued. "I don't know when Inuyasha and the others (sniffle) are, (hick) they left me with Kaede. I don't know how Kouga (hick) knew she was missing. They must have (hick) run into him." Shippo paused for a moment when he noticed his new position and Sesshoumaru's movement. "Lord Sesshoumaru, (sniffle) where are you taking me? I have to find my mama! I know she's here (hick) somewhere close! I can smell her now and everything!"

"Calm yourself, kit. I am taking you to her." Sesshoumaru was not accustomed to explaining himself, but then, this kit was different. Though he had never before heard the kit call her his mother, Sesshoumaru knew that Kagome considered the kit her son, and when (no if, definitely when) they were mated, that would make the kit his son as well. He might as well start working on a better impression than he was sure the kit had of him now.

"Really?" Shippo nearly shrieked in the demon lord's ear, before he realized it and lowered his voice to nearly a whisper. "I'm sorry, Lord Sesshoumaru, but do you really know where my mama, I mean Kagome is?" Shippo had finally noticed his slip, and hoped that Sesshoumaru had not. No matter how sure he was that she loved him, he was still terrified she would deny him if she knew he thought of her as his mother.

"Yes, kit. You will be with her in a matter of moments, but she is sleeping. You must promise not to wake her. She can explain everything to you in the morning." Shippo nodded his agreement so quickly he got dizzy and nearly fell from his perch. Sesshoumaru leapt over the outer wall and reentered his palace through his balcony doors. He then opened his chamber doors and walked the short distance to the next door on the right side of the hall and quietly opened the door to Kagome's chamber. Shippo jumped silently from his shoulder, and he watched as the kit crept up the bed, climbed in silently, and snuggled against the sleeping miko's stomach. Her arms instinctively wound around him and held him close, and as he started to close the door he heard the kits contented purring sigh. A yawning Kazue looked from her perch near the sleeping miko's head to the kit to the demon lord who merely nodded at her, before curling back up and returning to sleep. Sesshoumaru shut the door silently, trying to fight down the twinge of jealousy that had erupted when the kit snuggled into her arms. He so wanted to be wrapped in her warmth and her scent, just as the kit was now.

Shippo reveled in the embrace of his mama. He was confused, but he was exhausted, and finally being back in her arms was too wonderful to be bothered by questions. Questions could be asked later. For now, he would sleep; truly sleep for the first time since she had left them nearly two whole weeks ago.

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It was only hours before dawn when the tired group arrived at Kaede's hut, to find not only had Kagome not returned, but that Shippo had run off early that morning and not returned. Kaede once again tried to keep their spirits up, but they were too worried, too depressed, and too exhausted to have any real hope left. And even if they did find Kagome, now they had lost Shippo, and she would never forgive them if anything happened to the little fox child. Things were not looking up for the group, now missing two important members. Their worried thoughts turned to troubled dreams as they slipped off to sleep one by one. Even the hanyou eventually lost the fight to remain conscious, and his dreams were the worst of all.


	18. Fox in the Dog House

**Chapter 18 – Fox in the Dog House**

Dawn found several things happening, all at once. Kouga was waking and starting his short run to the village to see if the others had located Kagome. Miroku and Sango were whispering their worries over the now missing Shippo. Inuyasha was pacing the floor, driving the others crazy, trying to decide what to do next. Kaede merely sat and sipped her tea, looking much more calm than she should have been, given the circumstances, which was another thing bothering Inuyasha. Before he managed to launch into a rant, he smelled someone he actually was looking forward to seeing for the first time since they had met nearly two years ago, the wolf.

Sesshoumaru was also pacing, stalking the length of his chambers as he had been since he returned, still upset over the wolf's apparent claim on his miko and her impending departure. His pups were stirring, although none of them wanted to get up, as none had slept well at all, having become accustomed to the scent and warmth of the miko. Rin was popping out of her bed like a spring, bouncing around getting dressed for the day. She had no worries at all. After all, her Lord always gets what he wants, and she was convinced that he wanted Kagome. In her mind, there was no other outcome possible. The servants, who had been up for hours already, were running around trying desperately to have breakfast perfect, as had been demanded by their Lord the evening prior. And then there was Kagome.

Kagome groaned in her sleep as she tried to bury her face in her pillow to block out the light, but the pesky sun was intent on shining right in her eyes. Finally she gave up and yawned wide, turning her head and grinning at Kazue who was mimicking her yawn, complete with full body puppy stretch. It was then that Kagome noticed a furry warmth at the side, burrowed deeply into her stomach as if trying to hide from the world. At first, she had figured it to be one of the pups, but upon closer inspection she noticed the fluffy tail was definitely not white, but instead a bright orangey red. She knew that tail!

"Shippo!" Kagome cried at the top of her lungs, which we all know is pretty damn loud. Her cry echoed through the hallway, carried into all the other sleeping chambers. Sesshoumaru merely smirked. He knew she would be happy to see the kit. Rin smiled so wide, one would have thought her face had split in two. She had missed Shippo, and couldn't wait to introduce him to her little brothers. The pups all jumped up in surprise. They knew of Shippo of course, but they had never met him. Why was their miko calling out to him like that? Was something wrong? Before another thought could enter, they had all rushed from their room and burst into Kagome's, startling the embracing pair for a moment. Shippo was crying again, this time in joy for finding his mama safe after all this time and Kagome had joined him, although she cried for a different reason. She had never imagined her absence would affect him so. He was dirty, his clothes were torn, he had such dark circles under his eyes he looked more like a raccoon than a fox, and he was painfully skinny to top it all off.

She glanced up at the pups who all stood frozen at the image they had entered to. How did the kit get here, and how did he make their Kagome cry? They could sense nothing physically wrong with her, but they still held suspicion in their eyes. He shouldn't be here! This was their time with her, and the fox would have her all to himself soon enough. They attempted to keep their feelings on the subject of the new presence to themselves as they noticed her looking at them. She then motioned them over to her.

"Shippo, honey. What happened to you? You look so skinny! And tired! And how did you get here? You need a bath something fierce, mister." Noticing that his crying was nearing hysterical levels, she tried her best to soothe him. "Hey, calm down now sweetie. I'm here, and I'm okay. I didn't leave you and I won't, alright? I promise." Another ripple of jealousy washed over the young inus as she vowed to stay with the kit. Why couldn't she stay with them? What was so great about the little fox anyway? What did he have that they didn't? Why did he get to have her all to himself when they wanted her so badly?

Shippo finally managed to sniffle out a few words between his sobs. "Ma… Kagome…I was so…scared! I thought…I thought…"

Kagome smoothed her hand over his hair, it being too messy and tangled to run her fingers through at the moment. "I'm sorry I scared you baby. Lord Sesshoumaru needed my help, and I didn't have the time to tell you all before I left. That and Inuyasha would have thrown a fit. Honey, I want you to meet Lord Sesshoumaru's pups. They were in trouble. Kikyo and Naraku cursed them, and they would have died if I hadn't helped them. I didn't mean to worry you." She turned to look at the seven surrounding her, and smiled as Rin entered the room as well. "Shippo, honey, turn around so I can introduce you. Guys, this is Shippo. I told you about him. And Shippo, this is, in order, Yoshikazu, Shinji, Hisoka, Hitoshi, Akihiro, Yuudai, and Isamu. And look, Rin is here too!"

Shippo had finally gotten control of his tears, and gave a shaky smile to the boys surrounding him. He didn't quite get the feeling he was welcome here, at least not by them, but rather the feeling that he was intruding on something, but it didn't matter because he had his Kagome back. Nothing else could possibly be as important as having his mother figure back, nothing at all.

Kagome shooed all the children off to get ready for breakfast, before taking Shippo into her private spring and giving him a good washing. She had to condition his hair twice just to get all the knots out of it, and she had quite a good sized pile of twigs and leaves when she was finished. When she reentered her room, she found a new outfit, just Shippo's size, sitting folded neatly on her bed. She helped him dress before digging through her pack for a clean set of clothes. She couldn't very well return to Inuyasha in a fancy silk kimono now, could she? She dressed, all the while explaining what had happened while she was gone. Shippo had noticed the marks while they were in the spring, and Kagome did her best to explain. For a moment she had thought Shippo had been upset, but as soon as she had noticed it, it was gone, leaving her to think she had imagined it. She introduced Kazue to him, who planted herself comfortably on Kagome's right shoulder. When they were dressed and ready, Kagome opened the door, revealing Sesshoumaru, waiting to lead them to the dining room.

Shippo had been shocked when he saw the marks. Not only had Sesshoumaru marked his mama as pack, but so had his pups! His mama now held a close, **permanent** connection with them, but not with him. He had never mentioned it, because he didn't want to be disappointed if she refused, especially since he couldn't even bring himself to ask if he could call her Mama, but now he was confused. Would she allow him to mark her too? He had always wondered, but had always been too afraid to ask. Now he would have to, or it would drive him crazy. He understood now why she had left without telling them. He knew Inuyasha would have popped a vein if Kagome left him to help his brother. He also understood why she helped Sesshoumaru. She was never one to let anyone, especially a child, suffer, no matter the circumstances, so no matter her opinion of the demon lord; she couldn't help but try to heal his pups.

Now, when they had left the room, Shippo had nearly keeled over when he watched his Kagome loop arms with the human hating Sesshoumaru. If Kagome hadn't been holding him, he was sure he would have, at the very least, fallen on his little furry ass. As it was, his chin was nearly to his chest, and his eyes were looking quite similar to those of a toad demon we all know and love. Okay, love might be going a little too far, but that is beside the point. Sesshoumaru glanced over before allowing a smirk to show as he gently released Kagome's arm and reached out with his clawed index finger to gently close the kits gaping mouth. Kagome giggled, before Sesshoumaru linked their arms once again, and continued leading the way. He didn't know what to say. What in the name of Kami is going on here? Since when did Sesshoumaru actually touch humans, let alone a Miko, his Mama! And when did Kagome get so comfortable in the great demon lord's presence?

When they entered the dining room, they discovered they were the first to arrive, and Sesshoumaru led them to their seats. Once again Kagome sat to Sesshoumaru's right, a position that Shippo took note of. Shippo sat on her right. When the others filed in, Rin sat beside Shippo, while the pups seemed to huddle together, trying to decide how to sit, before they approached the table. Once again, Shippo felt less than welcome. Apparently he was someone else's seat. He noticed the one with the moon sat across from Kagome, before shooting him a glare. The rest, he couldn't tell apart, not that he was too worried about learning their names. He and his mama would be leaving soon anyway.

The jealousy of his pups was glaringly apparent to Sesshoumaru. He would have to have a small talk with them after breakfast. He could not allow their jealousy to cause a rift. Things would be difficult enough just dealing with his half-brother. He didn't need animosity between his pups and the kit. He noticed that they were upset by Shippo's seating next to the miko, and watched as they decided together where to sit. Once again, Yoshikazu took his rightful place on his left, followed by Shinji, Hisoka, Hitoshi, and Akihiro. Yuudai and Isamu seated themselves next to Rin. There was an uncomfortable silence in the air, before Sesshoumaru decided to break it. As the servants dished out the food, he began speaking with Kagome about his encounter with the wolf and Shippo, leaving out, Shippo noted, Kouga's claim and his own reaction to it, leaving the kit a tad suspicious. They discussed how they would return her without being discovered, and eventually they had a plan laid out.

"What about scent, Kagome?" Shippo inquired.

"What, honey? What about scent?"

"I mean, you smell like Sesshoumaru and his pups. Inuyasha will definitely smell it. And the marks. Even if he doesn't see them, won't Inuyasha be able to feel them?"

"Lord Sesshoumaru taught me a spell to hide the marks, and we don't think he will be able to feel them well enough to know what they are. Miroku might sense them, but if he does, I know he will keep my secret. I suppose I will have to tell them eventually, but I'm just not ready for it right now. And the smell, I have that one figured out all on my own."

Sesshoumaru raised a silver brow at this. He had actually forgotten all about smell. That was shocking enough. But how did she plan on dealing with it? Kagome caught the eyebrow, and decided to explain. "Last night when I was in the library I found a book on Miko spells, and I picked up a few things. I practiced a bit, and now I can purify your scent right off me. Wanna see?"

He had to admit, he was curious. He had never seen it done before, and it excited him when he thought of her power. The girl was bursting at the seams with power, even more now that she had her complete soul. The scent of her power was intoxicating, and he ached to feel the tingle of it against his skin, to taste the magic in her blood. He simply nodded, shifting slightly in his seat, in an attempt to hide the sign of his growing approval of her powers. Yoshi shot him a quick glance, before raising a brow in a perfect imitation of himself, and turning to watch the miko show.

Kagome stood and moved away from the table full of youkai. She didn't want to hurt them, after all. Then it dawned on her, only two of them would be susceptible to her powers, maybe three. She wasn't sure about Kazue, since she had received the mark. Neither Sesshoumaru nor Shippo, though, were immune to her powers like the pups were. Distracted for a minute, Kagome thought on asking Shippo if he would like to bond with her. She would like to give him some power as she had done with the pups, so that she could never accidentally hurt him, and so that he would be safe from all other holy powers. She knew that some miko would shoot a youkai on sight, just because of what they were, whether they posed a threat or not, and she couldn't have that happen to Shippo. Not when she could do something to protect him. Plus, they still didn't know if they could actually use the power in any way, or if it was merely defensive. If she gave it to Shippo too, then they would have the time to experiment and see if he could actually call upon and use the holy powers.

Sesshoumaru cleared his throat, startling her out of her musings, and she blushed slightly before beginning. Everyone watched intently as she closed her eyes and slowly began to glow. The bright pink of her power surrounded her, and then dissipated. "All done. Who wants to take a test sniff?" Kagome grinned. "Okay, that just came out wrong." Sesshoumaru and Yoshi both stood and approached, and leaned in, one from each side, and sniffed near her neck, careful not to touch her.

"Amazing," Yoshi whispered.

"Indeed. You now carry only your own scent, completely free of all others. You will have to do so and then allow Kazue and Shippo to touch you for a few minutes, or the lack of scents will be suspicious. You can do so when I leave you near the village, but still far enough away that this Sesshoumaru will not be sensed if the half-breed is near. The short flight on Kazue should put her scent on you sufficiently, but the kit will have to scent mark you again as he has been doing."

"Scent mark?" Now it was Shippo's turn to blush. He had never told her that when he snuggled into her and nuzzled her neck that he was actually marking her with his scent. It drove Inuyasha crazy. He was always trying to cover up the kits scent, and vice versa, and all without her knowledge.

Sesshoumaru looked between Kagome and the kit for a moment before he decided it would be up to him to explain. "Yes, the kit has been scent marking you, claiming you as his own to all other youkai. It is usually in the curve of your neck near your pulse and over your stomach. I had noticed this before. The hanyou does it too. It seems neither likes the scent of the other on you."

"Is that true Shippo?" Shippo glanced at her. She didn't look angry, just confused.

"Ye…yes, Kagome. You're not mad, are you?"

Kagome cracked a smile at him. "No sweetie. I just didn't know is all. Is that why you and Inuyasha are always fighting?"

"Mostly. He doesn't like it when you smell like me. He sits in his tree at night and growls at me when I sleep with you in your sleeping bag."

"What for? It's not like **he** wants me or anything! What's that matter with me smelling like you? You are my son, after all." Kagome failed to hear the low growl rumbling from Yoshi, but everyone else except Rin caught it, and Sesshoumaru shot his son a glare and his own low growl, stopping Yoshi short.

Ignoring the threatening sound, Shippo looked at her, shock in his eyes. "Do you really mean it?"

Kagome looked at him, seeing the vulnerable look in his eyes. "You should know better Shippo. Of course I consider you my son. I've been taking care of you for two years, and I love you. I thought you knew."

"I…well, I knew you…love me, but I wasn't sure…if…can I…umm…can I call you Mama, then?" Shippo paused for a second before his fear set back in and his next words came out rushed. "I understand if you don't want me to. I know you're a miko and I'm a youkai. You can say no…if you want." The last bit slowed down and was nearly a whisper.

Kagome swept the kit into her arms and held him tight. "Of course, Shippo. You can call me whatever you want. You should have known better! You know I don't care about our differences."

Shippo merely beamed as he held tight to the front of her shirt and whispered "Mama," before nuzzling in deeper.

Another low growl was heard by all youkai, and Sesshoumaru decided he should interrupt before Yoshikazu leapt across the table, or did something else irrational and damaging. "The marking is an instinctive reaction. The hanyou is claiming you as his. In his pack, he considers you his alpha female, and him the alpha male, and as such, in his mind, you should not smell of another male, even if it is a child. He is jealous of your attentions to the kit, although he may not realize it himself. His demon half is reacting on instinct."

"Yeah, okay, but when would Inuyasha mark me? It's not like he goes around rubbing on me like when I hold Shippo," Kagome said while setting Shippo back in his seat beside her.

"I believe he may do it while you ride on his back."

"Yeah, mama. He does it even more when Kouga comes around calling you his woman." The growl that followed was so loud it echoed in the room. Shippo had not meant to mention the wolf. He slunk down and behind Kagome, who had returned to her seat during their conversation. Kagome looked shocked, staring at the now pink eyed Sesshoumaru.

"Sesshoumaru? Are you okay?" She watched as he closed his eyes tightly for a few moments, and when he opened them, they were once again the swirling liquid gold she found so entrancing. For a moment they sat, staring into each other's eyes, before Kagome broke into a blush and turned away. Yoshi and Shin looked at each other, appearing to have a silent conversation, before returning their gazes to rest on the blushing miko. Even though she never got an answer, Kagome decided to let it go to return to their original topic. "So, then do you think the spell will work? As long as Shippo marks me as usual?"

Sesshoumaru was grateful for the distraction of her question. He had nearly lost control at the mere mention of the wolf, and he was not sure how he would have explained it if she had pressed the issue. "Yes, then your scent should be as normal as expected. I doubt the half-breed will take the time to notice your lack of other scents. How do you plan on explaining the kit's presence?"

"Easy. I found him on my way back. So, when do we leave? I really need to get back to them. I'm sure they are all worried. And if Inuyasha talked to Mama, then she must be hysterical by now."

"Inuyasha said your mother was upset at first, but then she calmed and said that she would know if something bad had happened to you. She even sent supplies back with him. But I'm sure she will want to see you and know for sure your okay." Shippo crawled up into her lap, still afraid that he would wake up and she would be gone.

"Do you have your things ready?" Sesshoumaru asked softly.

"Yep. My bag's all packed. Only question will be where Shippo got his new clothes, but his old clothes are too torn up to put back on. If they ask, I'll make up some excuse or another."

"Then go retrieve your bag and we shall leave." Kagome glanced at his face. Something about his voice just wasn't right, but she didn't know what.

"Kagommmeeee, do you really have to leave so soon? We only got to spend one day with you!" Hisoka looked about ready to burst into tears. Kagome stood, putting Shippo down, and walked around the head of the table and pulled the upset little inu into her arms. Shippo managed to hold in his own instinctive jealous growl, though it was a bit of a struggle.

"Yes, Hisoka. I can't stay when my friends and family are worried about me. I'm sure you can find an excuse to come visit me though. Your father can just show up with Rin like usual, but happen to have you all with him as well. We just have to make sure that the first time they see you; we act like we are just meeting, so no one suspects. From then on it will be easy. I'm sorry I can't stay. Really I am. I know I will miss you all. But don't forget the mark. You should still be able to feel me, right?" The boys nodded. "Well, then, it will be like I am always with you. No need to be sad." Kagome smiled her bright loving smile at them all, and then proceeded to hug each in turn. "This way I don't forget to say goodbye to each of you."

Kagome headed out of the dining room with Shippo in her arms and Rin as her guide to find her chambers and collect her pack. They then met up with everyone in the gardens outside the palace. The boys seemed to be quite unhappy upon being told they would be staying behind. Rin promised to stay with them, so they wouldn't feel left out, and they said their goodbyes once again. Kazue transformed then, and Kagome climbed on with Shippo in her arms and her pack on her back. She took to the air and Sesshoumaru rose beside her on his cloud. She found that flying with Kazue was just the same as with Kirara, and was quite comfortable. It only took a few minutes before Shippo was asleep in her arms.

"Sesshoumaru?" He looked over and nodded for her to continue. "Will you bring them to see me? I already miss them, and I can tell they are upset."

"Yes, this Sesshoumaru promises to bring them all to visit. You, of course, are also welcome at the palace at any time, if you can manage to get away that is. They are certain to miss you. They became very attached to you, even more so than Rin had been already."

"If only you and Inuyasha could get along, then there wouldn't be a problem. But then that's probably asking too much, huh?"

"Even if this Sesshoumaru did attempt a conversation with the half-breed he would not listen. He still blames me for his mother's death. So long as he does, I cannot act as a brother to him. Though it may not seem like it, I do not hate him. We were much closer when we were younger, but once he met Kikyo, things seemed to change. She poisoned his mind against me, another reason I did not mind killing her. It is because of her that I had lost my last remaining family."

"Wow. But, if you don't hate him, then why do you fight? Why did you try to steal the Tetsusaiga?"

"At first, I wanted it because I was angry at him for turning against me. Since then, I have moved on, and now, when we battle, I am simply attempting to do my duty as his brother and teach him how to fight properly. He does not understand many things. He does not know why he and his mother had to leave the palace when father died. I had to send them away to protect them. It was a turbulent time. Many thought I was too young to be Lord, and attacked in an attempt to gain control of the west. I had to defend the lands, and I could not also protect them. They would have been killed, either by an enemy or even by a servant that did not agree with his birth. It was for his own good."

Kagome looked at him with pain in her eyes. "Oh, I never knew. But, why does he blame you for his mother's death?"

"I was mistaken when I believed that her family would care for them. Izayoi was a hime. She returned to live in her family's castle, but apparently the humans held the same disgust for her laying with a demon and producing a hanyou that the demons held. I did not find out how they were treated there until she had already fallen ill. It was too late. After that, they sent him away. They would have killed him, but they feared reprisal. I had watched over him from the shadows since, always guarding him on his human nights. I did the best I could to make sure he would survive, but I still could not bring him home. He would have been a sitting target at the palace. Out in the forests, no one knew who's son he was, and that fact alone kept him safer than I could have. We even talked at times, and I had tried to explain. When he was older, and strong enough to protect himself, I asked him to come home, but by that time, Kikyo had turned him against me, and then after her betrayal, he would not trust anyone. It even took time for you to gain his trust. I was always near, watching. I fight him now only to teach him lessons he needs to learn. I truly do wish things were different."

"Oh, Sesshoumaru. I'm so sorry. I wish there was a way to make him understand."

"Speaking of understanding, I need to warn you, he may act differently towards you now."

"Why?"

"When I found him with Kikyo, he defended her, and I showed him the vision you had about Kikyo and Naraku. Then he asked me to kill her for him. I was still angry at him for all the pain you had experienced, from what you had shown me, and I combined all the times Kikyo attacked you, all the hurt and the pain, into a vision and left him with it. He probably feels very guilty right about now, as he should. Maybe now he will treat you with more respect."

"Oh. I see. So he knows about the pain from the missing piece of my soul, and that I told the truth the times I said Kikyo attacked me and he didn't believe me?"

"As well as being reminded of every time he ever insulted you."

"Oh." Kagome didn't know what to say or what to think. Finally, Inuyasha might be able to understand her. "If only we could do the same thing for you."

"Hn?" Sesshoumaru had been concerned that maybe Kagome hadn't wanted Inuyasha to know, but he was relieved that she did not seem upset. He hadn't really thought about it before he did it. He just needed to make the idiot realize what he had been doing to her all this time.

"If only you could show him all that happened after your father died. The attacks on the west, how you watched over him, everything. If it worked for me, maybe it would work for you."

"But I am not sure I would be able to do so again. I was only able to use your memories because I had given you my youki, which seemed to form a strong connection between us. It was your power that allowed me to show it to him. This Sesshoumaru has never before been able to do such a thing."

"Well, maybe we could do it together. Think about it, and I will too. Maybe we can find a way. You and your brother should be brothers again. I couldn't imagine life without mine, no matter how annoying he is." Sesshoumaru and Kazue began a smooth descent to the ground. When they landed, Kagome carefully slid to the ground and set Shippo down. Walking up to the demon lord, she gave him a huge hug, resting her head against his armored chest. At first, Sesshoumaru didn't know how to respond, but he slowly put his arm around her as well, and held her close for a minute, taking advantage of his last chance to revel in her scent. When they pulled away, Kagome blushed and then moved back, and proceeded to purify all scents off of her and hide the markings. She waved good-bye, and watched as he took off, without a word, to return to his palace. Kagome nudged Shippo awake and he proceeded to scent mark her, snuggling into her, and falling back asleep once again. She climbed upon Kazue once more, and when they were above the village she directed her mentally where to land. Finally, she was back.


	19. One's Miko Lost is Another's Miko Gained

**Chapter 19 – One's Miko Lost is Another's Miko Gained**

Kouga had arrived at the village, but with no good news. He did not tell them about his encounter with Sesshoumaru. It would not do well for his rival to know that he feared his older brother, even if the brother's were not on speaking terms. After giving them the news he decided to return to his den and check in with his pack. Maybe they had found her and the messenger just hadn't found him yet. He promised to return later and disappeared in his normal cloud of dust.

The group was more than depressed now. All that searching and still, no one had found her. At least they hoped no one had found her, since the only one left who as looking was Naraku, and they most definitely did not want him to find her. And if he had, who knows how long it would be until he let them know, surely in some horrific way, too.

"Miroku, why can't we find her?" Sango then burst into tears and threw herself at the monk's chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and for once managed to keep his hands to himself.

"I do not know Lady Sango, I do not know." Miroku sounded as if he was not far from tears himself.

Inuyasha didn't know what to say. His level of self-loathing had been on the rise every minute she was not found. He was sitting in the corner of Kaede's hut, eyes closed, trying his best to figure out what to do now. He refused to think that she might be dead. He could not believe it. His ears were plastered to his head, trying to block out Sango's cries. He had never seen the demon slayer so upset, not even when faced with her brother in Naraku's control. Sango was a strong woman. She did not break down. But there she was, being limply held in the monk's arms as she cried her very soul out over her missing sister, and it was all his fault.

Kaede still sat silent, drinking her tea. No one could understand why she was not more upset. When she spoke she startled everyone. "Ye should not yet give up hope for the girl. She is stronger than ye know." Inuyasha was about to start yelling. He had even opened his mouth, but it snapped shut and his head whipped to the door, just as Miroku's head popped up and his eyes opened.

"She's here," they said simultaneously. Sango jumped up and shoved her way past the men and out the door, nearly knocking both to the floor. Once they regained their balance, they too went outside, followed calmly by Kaede holding Kirara. They all stood, faces staring into the sky as they watched the approach of what appeared to be a large flying inu youkai. They sensed no danger, and merely stared, dazed as the dog landed and Kagome slid down, holding Shippo in her arms. All but Kaede that is. She held a small, knowing smile on her face. They then watched as the large black dog transformed in a blue cloud to a tiny puppy that then jumped to rest on Kagome's shoulder. As she approached them, they all were doing their best impressions of fish out of water, as no one knew what to say. Finally, Kirara jumped out of Kaede's arms and leapt onto Kagome's unoccupied shoulder and began nuzzling her neck in hello while adding her scent back to the miko and checking for any stray ones.

Kagome wasn't quite sure what to say either. She knew they had been worried sick, and she felt so guilty about it. She walked up quietly and handed Shippo to Kaede, who merely nodded her welcome and held the sleeping kit. Kagome then stood in front of her friends and smiled.

"Hi guys." Before Kagome could say more, she was nearly tackled by a once again sobbing Sango. Kirara and Kazue jumped down to avoid getting squashed, and walked a ways away where they proceeded to meow and bark, purr and whine softly to each other in conversation. Kagome burst in to tears as well, as she held Sango close to her. "Oh, Sango, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to worry you!" She pulled her head back and looked at Miroku who suddenly snapped out of it and instantly had his arms around the two most important women in his life. Kagome then locked eyes with Inuyasha, who quickly looked down, his ears flat to the top of his head. "I missed you all so much! I didn't know I was going to be gone so long. I'm sorry! Shippo told me how worried you all were when I found him." Slowly her friends released her and backed away. She was surprised when Inuyasha, who had not spoken or moved towards her at all, leapt into a nearby tree, his back facing her. Kagome blinked, trying to hold back tears. Why was he angry with her? Did he resent her because Kikyo was dead? "Um… what's with…?"

Miroku cut her off. "Lady Kagome, please come inside and tell us where you have been." He shook his head gently, silently communicating with the girl that he would try to explain later. She let out a deep sigh, and then turned and entered the hut, where everyone sat around the fire pit and watched Kaede prepare tea for them all. She had laid the still sleeping Shippo on Kagome's pillow. Kagome sat as well, and then, after glancing at the door one last time, began her tale. They all sat, listening intently as Kagome told her lie. She wished she didn't have to lie, but she was just not ready to deal with a pissed off hanyou who would take everything the wrong way. She would tell them the truth later, when emotions weren't running quite so high. When Kirara reentered the hut followed by Kazue, Kagome introduced her to the group, along with the prepared story as well. While no one questioned her, Kagome could feel the question in Miroku's gaze, and knew she would have some explaining to do later. When Kagome looked at Kaede, she knew the old woman did not believe her one bit. She also knew that she would not call her on it. It seemed Kaede knew something, as she still held a small knowing smile on her face.

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In a dark, crumbling castle to the south, that was hidden by a powerful barrier and surrounded by a low hanging cloud of toxic purple miasma, even Kanna, who usually showed no signed of life, flinched away from the sound of the frustrated roar that had just emerged from the evil hanyou.

He had decided, after checking in with his saimyosho spies who had still not located the miko, to check in on her group. He had figured their despair would be at least slightly entertaining for a time. But when the mirror had cleared, the sight that greeted him was definitely not of a group in despair. No, instead it appeared to be a group rejoicing, and in their midst, wrapped in the arms of her companions, was the very miko he had been searching for!

It wasn't right! It couldn't be right! How could she have simply returned to them? And why had the mirror not shown her location earlier when asked? He could see her there, in the village of Kikyo, surrounded by those he was planning on torturing with her captivity. How was it possible??? Watching her smile as tears of happiness ran down her cheeks, he couldn't take it anymore. Without thinking, he ripped the mirror from Kanna's hands before throwing it like a Frisbee into a solid stone wall, shattering the glass so completely that all that remained was dust, the orbs of light, souls that had been trapped behind the mirror's surface which floated away, and the outer decorative ring that had once surrounded the magical surface. Within moments, that too disappeared, seeming to simply dissolve and float away, more dust on the breeze.

Kanna backed away slowly, fearing what would result when Naraku finally realized just what he had done. Kohaku sat motionless in the corner, his back against the cool stone, his eyes blank and empty. Kagura had to hide her face behind her fan as she fought laughter. Really, how was it that no one had defeated him yet? He obviously wasn't quite as bright as he let on. When he finally realized what he had done, however, the look in his eyes was so dark and menacing that it wiped the smile right off her face. This wasn't going to turn out well.

He stood, looking towards the white haired girl dressed in all white with white flowers in her hair. She was no good to him now. She had been 'born' with that mirror, and he wouldn't be able to get her another. He wanted to be kicking himself for his rash behavior, but rather than take it out on himself, he shot a mass of tentacles out towards the little girl whose eyes, for the first time, showed true and obvious fear. She made no attempt to move, however, and as Kagura watched on in horror, Kanna's small body was pierced through by the tentacles and dragged back towards their origins. She had to look away, however, as she couldn't watch the one she considered her sister being reabsorbed into Naraku's body, disappearing completely, forever, as if she had never existed at all.

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The group ate lunch together, with Inuyasha still refusing to look at Kagome, and Sango refusing to let her out of her sight. She didn't know what she had done to make the hanyou so angry he would not look at her, but she and Miroku had not yet had a chance to talk. Whatever the problem was, it had to be a big one, as Inuyasha had never before refused ramen.

As he sat in his tree, he had listened to her explanation, relishing in the sound of her voice and her scent, which he had never realized were both quite so wonderful before. When he had been called for lunch he refused to come down. He didn't deserve her kindness, and he definitely did **not** deserve ramen. Instead, he stayed above them smelling the food, hearing them talk, and missing their companionship more than he had ever thought possible. After having spent so much time on his own, he had somehow become used to the presence of the others now. He was sure that it was Kagome's doing. But he would not allow himself to join them. He didn't deserve it, and he intended on punishing himself as much as possible, never thinking that his avoidance was punishing Kagome just as much.

Kagome agreed to stay the night with them and then return home to visit her family in the morning. When it came time to sleep, Inuyasha had still not come down from the tree, and she was really starting to get worried. She had not gotten a chance to talk to either Miroku or Kaede, though, as the others would not leave her alone. Oh well. She found her thoughts drifting to silver hair, golden eyes, and a blue crescent moon. She dreamt of Sesshoumaru, Rin, and the pups, of playing in the gardens, of eating and talking in the dining room, of bedtime stories and quiet conversations. She even dreamt of the feel of his arm wrapped around her, holding her close, of how it felt as his hot breath swept across her skin, and the memory of his lips on her own, even if it had only been a dream. When she woke in the morning, she found there was an ache deep in her heart, as well as a more private ache somewhere further south. She missed the pups, she missed Rin, but what was most unexpected was … she missed Sesshoumaru. A lot.

When Sesshoumaru had returned to the palace he immediately closed himself up in his study. He tried to concentrate on getting through all the scrolls he had to read, but found he couldn't focus. Instead, his thoughts drifted to wavy ebony locks and shining blue eyes. He missed her already. He had been surprised at how easy it had been to talk with her about things he had never told another living soul. He really had not intended to tell her so much, but the words came so easily, his thoughts seemed to flow straight from his memory to his mouth, and he seemed to get no opinion or say in the matter. It felt good, though, to tell someone. Especially to tell her. She really listened to him, and she seemed to understand. She did not judge. Even after everything she had heard him say and seen him do, she still had an open mind. He found himself even more drawn to her. With her he could have a confidant. He wouldn't have to be alone with his thoughts, and he knew she would never think less of him for them, no matter what they were.

He sat daydreaming about the girl and listening to the sounds of the palace. It was quiet. He could not hear his pups playing or running through the halls. There was no laughter. Instead, there was a heavy aura surrounding the whole palace, one of sadness, loneliness. His pups and even the always happy Rin were depressed at their loss of the miko's presence, just as he was. The quiet stretched through the rest of the day as he stayed hidden in his study, letting his mind wander, wondering what she was doing, how she was. He wanted to look at her again, if only for a second. He craved her scent, just one little sniff, anything. Once he was sure that everyone had gone to bed, he silently exited his self-imposed prison and followed his feet. He found himself in the room he had given her, the room that had once been his mother's. The room meant for the Lady of the Western Lands. He lay down on the bed and buried his face in the pillows, breathing in what remained of her scent, and drifted off to sleep. One by one his pups found their way to the room as well, all searching for what little remained of her soothing presence. Soon the bed once again held eight dog demons, but it was missing one very important miko.

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When she awoke, it was much later in the morning than she had expected. Sitting up slowly, she looked around the room and found Miroku and Sango were still asleep as well. Apparently they were still exhausted from their searching. She felt a stab of guilt at the thought. She stood up and walked out of the hut quietly. An odd sight greeted her outside.

Inuyasha was sitting on his heels, crouched down in front of Kazue. He was letting out a series of growls, barks, and whines, while Kazue just looked at him.

'What is he doing?' Kagome silently asked the inu.

'He is trying to talk to me. It really is quite funny. He is asking where I came from. I don't think he believes your story of just finding me.'

'So you understand all that noise?'

'Yes, my lady, I mean, Kagome. He is speaking in inu. He seems to be getting frustrated because I refuse to answer him.' Kagome let out a little laugh at this, causing Inuyasha to jump up and spin around.

"Oh… hey Kagome. I think there's something wrong with your mutt." Inuyasha had not intended to be caught, especially not by the girl he was currently avoiding like the plague.

"Oh? And why is that? And Kazue is not a mutt. Be nice, Inuyasha." Kagome watched as his ears lowered once again.

"The thing won't answer me. She's either deaf, or mute, or just plain stupid."

"Did you ever think that maybe she's just stubborn like you?" Kagome giggled at her own joke, and walked past him to take a seat on a log nearby. Kazue immediately leapt into her lap and made herself at home.

"Kagome," Inuyasha started, his voice soft and questioning. "We need to talk." He figured it would be better to get it over with quick. At least at the moment he didn't have much of an audience. No one needed to witness his words.

"Okay, sure Inuyasha. What is it?" Her voice gave away her nervousness, but at least he was talking to her, which was a start.

He let out a huge sigh, took a deep breath, and began. "While you were gone, I was with Kikyo. I should have been here, waiting for you, and I wasn't. And then Sesshoumaru tried to attack her and she escaped. I searched and searched for her, and when I found her she told me that Sesshoumaru was after her, that she had healed some villagers that had been attacked by his guards, and he had taken offense. I bought it and promised to protect her. When he showed up again, we fought, and then he touched my head, and I saw… you will not believe what I saw."

'_You might be surprised,' _Kagome thought to herself while petting Kazue once again. "What did you see, Inuyasha? You should know by now that I'll believe you. I always do." _'I just wish I didn't have to lie to you. If only you would understand.'_

Inuyasha felt a pang of guilt at her words. How many times had he lied to her to go see Kikyo? "I watched Naraku and Kikyo curse who I guess was Sesshoumaru's pups, basically sentenced them to death. And then they kissed, and oh, it was awful. At first I didn't believe it, but then from the way Kikyo looked, I knew it was true. And I begged him to kill her." Inuyasha looked up into Kagome's eyes, his filled with pain. "I begged him to kill her…and he did. And then, before he left, he touched me again, and I saw everything. I saw everything Kikyo every said or did to you, all the times I refused to believe you, all the horrible things I have said to you, all the times I put you in danger and let you get hurt because I had abandoned you to run to her. And then there was the pain. You never told me about the pain. You told Miroku, I saw him helping you, but you never told me. I want to say you should have told me, but I probably wouldn't have believed you then either. I was blinded by her. I'm so sorry. I failed you so many times. I don't know how you can even stand to look at me, let alone stay my friend. I don't deserve you. I have never deserved you."

Kagome looked at him, taking in the sad, tear filled eyes, the lowered ears, the slumped shoulders. His entire appearance screamed defeated. "Inuyasha, I'm sorry she's gone, but I'm not sorry that you can finally see clearly. I have always understood how hard it was for you, for her to be alive but not, for her to hate you and love you at the same time. I know you were confused, and I forgive you. I had already forgiven you. I love you too much not too. You will always be my friend. Please, Inuyasha, don't beat yourself up over this. Move on, and find a way to be happy, please. It hurts me to see you so sad. Don't worry. I will never leave you. I will always be your friend. You know that, right? So please, I forgive you, so now you need to forgive yourself and move past it." She held her arms open to the teary eyed hanyou and he flew into her, knocking her over the log she was seated on flat onto her back, Kazue having barely avoided being squished. She wrapped her arms around him and held him as he buried his face in her hair and cried, really cried.

"I don't deserve a tenshi like you. You are my angel, my savior, and you are my first and best real friend. Thank you, Kagome. Thank you," he whispered in her hair as he cried. He had not really cried since he was a child, since his mother died, and it was well overdue. Kagome simply held him tightly, allowing him to get it all out, softly running her fingers through his hair and gently stroking his furry little puppy ears.

Finally he realized their position and moved off of her, pulling her to her feet. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked as he checked her over, while swiping the tears from his face with his sleeve.

"No, you didn't hurt me. I'm fine." She found herself once again swept into his arms.

"I promise I will never let you down again. I will protect you Kagome. I swear it."

"Okay, Inuyasha. How about I make you some ramen?" She watched as his eyes lit up and his ears perked up, and smiled. "You are so easy to please sometimes." He followed her into the hut and watched as she silently stoked the fire before placing water on to boil. While they waited, the others started to wake. She watched as Sango shifted slightly before bolting upright and searching the hut. When her eyes landed on Kagome she let out a sigh of relief. "Yes, Sango, I'm really here."

"Thank Kami! I thought I had dreamed it all. Oh, Kagome, I was so scared! I don't know what I would do if I lost you!"

"Well, you don't have to worry about it. You are my sister and my friend, and I would never leave you, I promise." Kagome added the dried noodles to the boiling water, while looking over at Miroku who had sat up and was looking at her oddly. "Are you okay, Miroku?" Kagome looked at him with pleading eyes.

Thankfully he got the message. "Yes, Lady Kagome, I am fine, thank you. I am just glad that you have returned to us safe and well. Ah, and Inuyasha, I see you have finally joined us."

The only response from the hanyou was his usual "Keh."

Shippo perked up at the smell of food as Kagome added the flavor packets and dished out the noodles for everyone. Inuyasha and Shippo both tore through their ramen like starving animals, while Kagome watched laughing quietly. "Where's Kaede, Inuyasha?"

"Went to check on a sick kid," he replied through a mouth full of noodles.

"Will you be returning home then, Lady Kagome?" Miroku asked with a small smile.

"Yeah, I need to let them know I'm okay, and get some more ramen, apparently. You'd think I'm the only one who feeds those two!"

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Hiromi was once again checking her gazing crystal. Kagome would be coming home today, but she had not yet met all three requirements. She could not give her the gifts until she had met all three. She wasn't quite sure what to do. She couldn't tell her what she needed to do. Kagome had to do it on her own. Until then, she would have to act like she would have been expected to if her daughter had been missing. She couldn't tell her that she knew Kagome had been fine and well, because then she would have to tell her how she knew, and Hiromi was pretty sure mother-instinct would not be an acceptable answer. She prayed to the Kamis that Kagome would meet the third requirement before returning home. She didn't think she was that good of an actress!

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Sesshoumaru woke in a room not his own, and it took him a few moments to realize where he was and why. Then it all came flooding back. She was gone, and he had come here seeking her scent. Apparently he had not been the only one, he noticed, as he found all his pups in the bed with him. He needed to figure something out, and he needed to do it soon. If he couldn't function without her, how could he expect them to? No, he had to find a way for them to remain in her presence. If she couldn't stay here, then they would have to stay with her. Then it hit him, he would propose an alliance and a merging of the packs, with the excuse of wishing to assist in defeating Naraku. It would not be a lie, after all. Naraku did need to pay for his treachery against his pups.

He rose slowly from the bed, so as to not wake his sons, and went to the library. He had a few things he needed to look into before he could leave.


	20. Fox Print and Missing One Miko

**Chapter 20 – Fox Print and Missing One Miko**

After everyone had eaten, Kagome took the bowls to a nearby stream to wash. Everyone wanted to follow her, but she insisted on taking only Shippo and Kazue, saying that she and Shippo needed some mommy son time, and Kazue could protect them both. No one had been surprised that Shippo had finally started calling Kagome Mama, as they had been expecting for some time now. It took some convincing, and the threat of a three letter word, but finally they were allowed their privacy. Shippo found himself feeling slightly afraid. What was it that Kagome had to say to him that the others could not hear?

They walked in silence until Kagome was sure they were out of the hearing range of Inuyasha, and then she began to talk. "Shippo, honey, I… I noticed yesterday, you seemed upset when you saw the marks, and I was wondering, why did you never ask to mark me? I mean, if you don't want to bind yourself to a human, I understand and all, I was just curious." The last was said in a nervous stream of words, said so quickly Shippo almost missed them. He found himself overwhelmingly relieved.

"Mama, no. Of course I would want to bind myself to you. You're my mama, and I love you. It's just, well, you're a miko, and even though I know you are different from all the others, I was afraid you wouldn't want a demon to mark you."

Kagome stopped in her tracks and kneeled in front of the little fox. "Honey, I love you as my own son. I would be proud to wear your mark."

"Really? That would be great! I guess I was a little jealous, when I saw that you had let them mark you, but had never let me."

"I would have sweetie. I just didn't know about it. When they explained the marks, I wondered why you had never asked. Do you know how to do it?"

"Yeah. You mean you'll really let me?"

"Of course I will. Will you let me give you my mark too? Like I did for the pups? I want to make sure that you are always safe, and the mark gives you some holy powers, and makes you immune to them, so I could never accidentally hurt you, and no one with holy powers could use them against you."

"Yes! Yes, mama. When we're connected, then it will be like you're my real mama! We can feel each other then, and I will always know your safe."

"Tell you what. After we finish washing these bowls, we can do it. Then I'm gonna go home and see my family for a little while, okay?"

"Deal!" The two finished their short walk to the stream, trailed closely by Kazue, who was determined to keep a close eye on her mistress. Once the dishes were washed, Kagome sat down, rolled up her right sleeve and presented Shippo with her bare arm. He stood next to her, and traced his paw across her upper arm, cutting four small lines with his little claws, before cutting a line in each little pad of his paw and pressing his paw over her cuts. There was a bright greenish blue flash, and when Shippo pulled his paw away they both marveled at the mark. There on Kagome's arm was a red fox print, surrounded by the greenish blue flames of fox fire.

"It's beautiful, Shippo!"

"Yeah, it is pretty neat. I didn't know what it would look like."

Kagome then turned to him and told him to be calm and relaxed. She explained that the pups had been unconscious when she had done this, and she wasn't sure if his youki would fight it since he would be aware, so to try and allow it. She then placed a hand over his forehead and a hand over his heart as she had done with the pups, closed her eyes, and focused on what she wanted to do. Shippo kept his eyes closed too and soon felt a flood of warmth surround him. It didn't feel dangerous though, like miko power should, but instead it felt like he was being held in loving arms. The flash of light was visible even behind their closed eyes, and when they opened them Kagome saw the pink teardrop settling under his left eye, giving a soft glow before fading to normal.

"I did it! How did it feel?"

"It was warm, and it felt like I was wrapped in your arms and surrounded by your love. It was amazing. So it's there then? Can you see it?" Kagome nodded and directed him to look into the stream. He caught his reflection and smiled widely at the mark of his mother on his cheek. Now they would be connected forever.

They returned to the village, and Kagome decided not to hide Shippo's mark with the spell. It was under her shirt anyway, and she wasn't ready to let it disappear just yet. Miroku looked at her oddly once again, but no one noticed the new mark on Shippo's face. Kagome gathered her things while having a silent chat with Kazue. She told her she was going home for a few days, and that she would be back, and told her she should wait with her friends in the village. Kazue wanted to go with her, but Kagome told her it wasn't possible and she would see why soon enough. They all escorted her to the well and she hugged each of them tightly before jumping in and disappearing. Kazue sat there shocked for a moment, looking at the others, before deciding to sit and stay right here until her Mistress returned. Shippo had frozen for a moment, his hand over his heart, as he experienced the pain of their connection being cut. They had not thought about what would happen when she went through the well, but now they knew. His eyes widened as he realized what this meant, and then it happened.

A blood curdling, heart breaking howl echoed through the land, making everyone's hair stand on end. Whatever had made that sound was big, and scary, and **definitely** upset about something.

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Sesshoumaru was sitting in his library reading up on youki transfer, trying to find out why Kagome had been able to keep a portion of his, how she had been able to hold so much to begin with, as well as to see if he could find an explanation for their mental connection during the time she held his power. He thought her idea was a good one. If he could show Inuyasha the truth then maybe they could be brothers again instead of enemies, which would make his proposition to join their groups that much easier. However, he could find nothing of use. No explanations, no theories, nothing. He had just decided to give up when he felt it. She was gone. He heard his pups let out heart breaking howls as his eyes bled red and he dove out the window to the garden where he instantly transformed and let out an earth shattering howl of his own. It was filled with pain and despair. She was gone! His love, his mate-to-be was gone! But how? He was soon joined in the garden by seven smaller white inus as well as Rin and many servants who had come to investigate the sound.

He stood frozen for a moment, baffled, before he barked a few times and leapt away. The smaller forms of his sons followed while one of the servants held Rin back. They had understood their master's orders. 'Watch over Rin and keep her here.' He had also called for his sons to follow. In an instant they were all out of sight, running at top speed to the village where he had left her only yesterday.

While running he thought. It did not make sense. The only time a bond should have been cut off like this was if she was dead but there had been no warning. They felt no fear from her, no danger, so how could she have died? If she had, he had to get there quickly. He would revive her as he had Rin. He had to find out what happened. He didn't care anymore about keeping the secret from his brother and his group. She needed him, and he **would** be there. 

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There was no warning, no time for grabbing weapons. There had been the howl, followed by a few minutes of silence in which the group had begun to return to the village. They had been surprised by Kazue's lack of response and refusal to follow them. She simply sat next to the well, staring. Then suddenly they were surrounded by a strong demonic aura, which arrived so fast they were nearly knocked to the ground. There, standing above them, was a giant white dog, and surrounding them were seven smaller dogs.

"Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha hissed, before shoving the two humans and the kit on a transformed Kirara and sending them out of the danger zone. Inuyasha was surprised, however, when Sesshoumaru completely ignored him, instead staring at the dumb dog of Kagome's. It looked like they were talking to each other through their eyes alone, which was almost what was happening.

Sesshoumaru demanded to know what had happened to Kagome. Where had she gone? Was she hurt? Kazue calmly told him everything she knew, that Kagome had said she was going home and home was somewhere she couldn't follow. She told him of how they had all walked calmly to the well where Kagome said her final good-byes and jumped in. Then she had seen a blue light in the well accompanied by powerful magic and felt her connection cut, which she figured was what had brought them all here so quickly.

Inuyasha looked on in shock as Sesshoumaru transformed back into his humanoid form, then turned and spoke in inu to the seven smaller youkai. Why was Sesshoumaru explaining where Kagome went? How did he know? Did the dumb dog tell him? But she hadn't made a sound! Suddenly Sesshoumaru turned on him, glaring at his younger brother, his eyes still red, markings jagged. He looked absolutely feral.

"Explain," was all he said.

"What? Explain what you asshole? What makes you think you can come crashing in here and expect me to answer to you?" Inuyasha knew exactly what his brother wanted to know but he didn't know **why** he wanted to know and that made him frightened, which in turn made him angry. He would not tell his brother about Kagome and the well. He refused.

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Hiromi knew the instant her daughter had arrived. She ran out the kitchen door, a dish towel in hand, and looked her over as she exited the well house. _'Thank Kami! She has met the third requirement! No need of my mediocre acting abilities!'_

"Kagome! Welcome home dear! I'm so glad to see you."

Kagome froze in place. Wait a minute. Her mother wasn't running for her in tears, afraid she had been dead all this time? What in the world was going on here? "Mama? Are you okay?"

"Yes, dear. I am fine. Everything is perfect now! It is finally time! Come inside dear, and put down your heavy pack. There are some things we need to talk about."


	21. Keeping Confidences & Prophecy Revealed

**Chapter 21 – Keeping Confidences and Prophecy Revealed**

The battle had begun. Unable to restrain himself, Sesshoumaru had lunged at the hanyou, his claws glowing green with poison. He was serious. There would be no playing around. He would have answers or the insolent fool would die! Miroku had been thoughtfully taking in the situation from his perch on Kirara. He had known something odd had occurred with Kagome, but from the reactions of Sesshoumaru and who he assumed were his pups who had somehow survived the curse placed on them by Kikyo and Naraku, he now had a new theory. He decided he had to intervene. Inuyasha would never deal with this situation rationally. He would end up dead, because it was obvious the demon lord was not in the mood for games.

Miroku yelled for Kirara to land and he dove off as soon as she was close to the ground. He ran to the side of the fighting brothers. Inuyasha had been thrown to the ground and Sesshoumaru was perched above him, poison claws raised and ready to be thrust into his chest. "Lord Sesshoumaru, please. I would be happy to explain to you whatever it is you need to know. Please, let him go and I will do my best to answer any questions you have."

Sesshoumaru paused in his attack ignoring Inuyasha's yells to tell him nothing and looked at the houshi. "What has happened to your miko?" His voice was more of a growl then words but his question still surprised the humans of the group, who had not overhead the explanation he had given his pups in inu. Inuyasha was getting ready to run his mouth when Miroku started talking instead, doing his best to save his stubborn friend's life.

"Nothing has happened to Kagome, Lord Sesshoumaru. She has simply gone home for a few days. She will return safely. If I may ask, why is it…"

The monk was cut off by a snarl that almost made him wet his robes right where he stood. "No, you may not ask. Where is the miko's home?"

"Ah, well…" His knees were knocking as he looked from the still pinned Inuyasha to Sango and back to the pissed off taiyoukai.

"Do not lie to me, monk. She jumped into the well but then her presence disappeared. Explain!"

"Wait a minute! How the fuck do you know that? How do you know what she did and why in the hell would you be missing her presence? What the fuck does Kagome have to do with you?" Inuyasha apparently had been oblivious to his near death experience and was looking for an instant replay. Sesshoumaru merely lifted him off the ground by his throat and threw him towards the tree line. The hanyou flew through several trees, breaking the trunks into nothing but splinters, before finally hitting one that refused to break. Instead it knocked him unconscious as he slid into a pile of limp hanyou at the bottom at the tree.

"Please Lord Sesshoumaru, forgive him. It is just that, well, it is Kagome's secret and it is not our place to tell." Miroku took a moment to look over the seven inu still in their true forms standing around the clearing, taking in their appearance.

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and breathed. The miko was alright, not injured, not dead, just gone somehow, through an old dry well. When he reopened his eyes they were once again golden and his stoic mask was firmly in place. "How is it that the miko will return from this secret place?"

Miroku was still looking from inu to inu, also taking in the appearance of Kazue. Sango answered for him since he was apparently no longer paying attention. "She will come back through the well, my Lord." Sango bowed low. She did not want to die today.

He figured it out! He had found the reason for the strange feeling of familiarity. The pups had one of the same markings as Kazue! The pink teardrop! They all had it! But what does it mean?

Shippo jumped from his shoulder to stand in front of Sesshoumaru, looking much braver than he felt. "Lord Sesshoumaru? You felt it cut off, right? Don't worry. Mama is just fine. She is just somewhere where it can't reach I guess. She goes back and forth all the time. She will come back and we will all know the second she does." Sesshoumaru gave a small nod to the kit before turning and sitting on the edge of the well.

"Shippo?" Miroku was confused. What did Shippo mean? What did he know? Shippo turned to look at the monk and that's when he saw it. Shippo had the mark too!

"Do not question him monk. Just as you keep a secret, we do as well. We will not betray confidences. We will wait here for her return. If you wish for the half-breed to live I suggest you keep him away from this Sesshoumaru." The taiyoukai did not even look at the monk as he spoke.

Nodding, Sango and Miroku moved to hoist the unconscious hanyou onto the waiting fire cat. They started to walk back towards the village, but when Miroku realized Shippo wasn't with them he looked back. He was surprised to see that Shippo had sat in front of Sesshoumaru and they were talking quietly. Miroku's attention was held as he watched the smaller inus transform into mini mirror images of Sesshoumaru. He decided he would have to speak to Kaede about the marks and the strange behavior of the western lord and Shippo. Something was going on that they were not privy to.

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Kagome walked inside slowly, hesitating nearly every other step. Something odd was going on here. "Mama? Are you okay? Inuyasha was sure you would be worried sick."

Hiromi merely smiled. "Yes, dear, I am fine, and no, I wasn't worried. Come sit down and we will have tea and talk."

Kagome sat and watched silently as her mother made tea and sat across from her at the kitchen table. "There are some things I need to tell you, dear. You have to understand, I would have told you earlier, but certain things had to occur first, or it would all fall apart, and the world would be lost." Kagome moved to speak, but her mother put up a finger, stopping her. "Please Kagome; let me say what I need to say. I understand that you will probably be mad at me for keeping this from you, but it was my duty to make sure things progressed in the right order. I didn't expect it to take two years, though." He mother paused to take a sip of tea. "It seems that he is more stubborn than had been expected. Now, I have two things I have to give you. The first is a scroll. Once you read it, I will help you interpret it if you need it. The second I will give you before you leave. Here, honey."

Kagome watched as her mother walked into the living room for a moment and returned with an ancient looking scroll closed with a wax seal. She handed it to her and left the room, leaving Kagome to read. Kagome decided she wanted to read it in her room, so she went upstairs and made herself comfortable on her bed, before slipping her finger under the seal, popping it off, and unrolling the ancient paper. She began to read.

_Hundreds of years and many generations will pass before one is born _

_who will redeem the trapped soul of the great priestess, Midoriko._

_She will come to right the wrongs of the past. _

_She will be the savior of the future._

_The priestess will be born of two eras,_

_And will live for a time in two presents._

_She will return against her will,_

_Bringing with her the cursed Jewel of Four Souls._

_To undo the damage of one priestess, she will first undo the mistake of another._

_She will find another to guide her in the right direction._

Kagome stopped reading for a moment. Was this true? Was this scroll talking about her? And if it was, why had her mother hidden this from her? If she had known ahead of time maybe she would have been slightly less traumatized by the whole thing! With a heavy sigh and a promise to have a good yell at her mother, she continued to read.

_To release the great Midoriko, the jewel will be forcibly removed from the body_

_of the prophesied and be shattered, the shards spread across the land._

_This will begin the journey of the new great priestess. _

"You have got to be kidding me!" Kagome found herself talking aloud. "So I was supposed to shatter the jewel? What the hell?"

_She will find along the way many things._

_She will discover first the spirit of Aramitama, the embodiment of courage._

_Kushimitama will follow, the embodiment of knowledge guiding her path._

_Nagimitama will join her, the embodiment of friendship finding a special place,_

_yet unused in the priestess's heart._

_The final spirit, Sakimitama, will be known and yet unknown._

_When the embodiment of love accepts its place, the next step can occur._

_When the priestess with the power over time becomes whole once more, _

_She will experience three things. _

_The true journey cannot begin until:_

_The seven treasures give a love before unknown,_

_A great power gives the gift of the night sky,_

_And the blue flame of Seven Treasures burns bright._

_Once these events have occurred, the priestess may learn of her fate and mission._

_She will be given the Arrow of Destiny to always point her in the right direction._

_She must then follow where it will lead her, to find that which will_

_Form the bridge of powers, initiating the transformation necessary_

_To defeat the great evil_

_To redeem the great priestess._

Kagome sat in silence. This changed so much! But she had questions. How was she born of two eras? Who was Sakimitama, love? It was obvious that courage was Inuyasha, knowledge was Miroku, and friendship was Sango, the sister of her heart. And the three things? She was lost. And the fact that her mother had this information all along and never even hinted? '_Well, that certainly explains why she let me go back through the well without a fight, even though I missed school to the point of nearly failing and I was in danger every day. This is why she allowed it all.'_

"Kagome?" her mother knocked softly on her door and waited.

"Yeah, mom, come on in," Kagome said with a heavy sigh.

"Do you have questions for me?"

Kagome looked at her. Her eyes held no anger anymore, just confusion. "Yeah, mama. Why? Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"I couldn't, sweetheart, no matter how much I wanted to. When your father gave me this and told me what would happen I didn't believe him at first. I don't think I was ever completely convinced, until the day you fell down the well for the first time."

"Daddy gave you this? Wait; in here it says I was born of two eras. What does that mean? How is that possible?" Kagome looked fairly desperate now. This was just too weird.

"You are the child of two eras because your father was not of this era. Your father came to us from the feudal era, through the well. We fell in love, and had you and Souta. When he told me about the prophecy, and that he had to go back I was angry, but then he gave me a gift so that I would always know he was safe. I will show it to you later."

Kagome felt tears slipping down her cheeks, and saw that her mother had started to cry as well. "Are you saying…that…that daddy…is still alive?" Her mother nodded slowly, refusing to make eye contact with her daughter. "And…he's been in the feudal era all this time?"

"Yes," her mother whispered. "He had to go back to protect the next item you will seek. It is essential to your mission, but it could not be kept here. The arrow will lead you to him."

"No," Kagome gasped out between sniffles. "NO! How could he leave us? And now, after all this time, I am expected to go find him? I can't, I just, I can't deal with this!" Kagome threw herself face down onto her bed and wept into her pillows. He mother sat with her for over an hour, softly rubbing her back, before Kagome cried herself to sleep.

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As the others walked away he had started to follow until Shippo heard Sesshoumaru call to him softly. He approached carefully and sat when directed to. "Kit, you and Kagome now share a mark as well?"

Shippo looked around nervously for a minute. "Yeah. Mama asked me. I had always wanted to but had been afraid to ask her. Lord Sesshoumaru?" Sesshoumaru simply nodded for him to go on. "Why did you mark my mama? I mean, I understand why your pups did. They already had a connection with her. What I don't get is why you would. Is something going on between you and my mama?" Shippo knew he was probably pressing his luck, but he had to ask. Every since the incident with Kouga and their breakfast he had been trying to figure it out. He had come to the guessed that Sesshoumaru had an interest in Kagome, but was sure now after seeing how fast he had come to check on her. He also knew that Sesshoumaru knew if he hurt him he would hurt Kagome and he was pretty sure that he would not do anything to upset her.

"Kit…(sigh) Shippo. Yes, this Sesshoumaru finds himself…" He didn't know how to say it. How could he explain to the woman's child that he was in love with his mama? He wasn't sure how Shippo would react.

Akihiro decided to help. He stepped up to stand beside his father. "I believe that father wants to take your mother as his mate." They both looked at the lord who only nodded. "We want her as our mother too, and Rin's. We all love her."

"Really? Wow! I never expected that. Aren't you supposed to hate humans?" Shippo froze as soon as the words had slipped out. He hadn't meant to say that out loud! "Sorry, sorry!"

Sesshoumaru surprised him with a chuckle, a real out loud chuckle. Shippo thought he had been killed for a moment because that had to be the only way for that to have happened! "So I believed as well but your mother…Kagome…she is not a normal human, that is to be sure."

They spent the next few hours talking quietly. Shippo found himself liking the idea of his mama mating with Lord Sesshoumaru. He was strong and could protect her. He really seemed to be in love with her and Shippo knew Sesshoumaru would never hurt Kagome as Inuyasha had time and time again by going to another. He would even have siblings which didn't seem so bad once he considered it. Sure, he would have to share Kagome's attention but he would also have a father and would have eight friends to play with! All thoughts of jealousy faded out of existence in the hearts of Shippo and the seven young inus who had been having similar thoughts. When darkness found them they were discussing ideas and plans to get things rolling between the taiyoukai and the miko. It seemed that Sesshoumaru had his own private cheering section, something he had never quite experienced before, and it was a nice feeling to have others supporting him in this.

When night fell Shippo camped with Sesshoumaru, the pups, and Kazue by the well. Suddenly, he felt very welcome with them. After all, they were to become his new family if everything went according to plan.


	22. Deciphering Prophecy & Connecting Dots

**Chapter 22 – Deciphering the Prophecy and Connecting the Dots**

Miroku and Sango had dragged Inuyasha back to Kaede's hut. Kaede had not yet returned so they treated his wounds as best as possible. Now, hours later, he was still unconscious and the monk and slayer were sitting around the fire pit with the elder priestess talking quietly.

"Kaede, did you notice something different about Kagome when she returned?" Miroku asked while sipping his tea.

"What are you talking about Miroku? Why didn't you say anything?" Sango sounded upset. Too many odd things were happening, and they were all in the dark once again.

Kaede nodded. "Yes monk, I did sense the difference. Sango, we did not mention it because Kagome was not yet ready to share."

"Yes, when I looked at her she made her begging eyes at me, so I kept my mouth shut. I noticed something else earlier today, though. You know the mark on Kazue's face, the little pink tear drop? I also saw it on all of Sesshoumaru's pups. When we were returning to the village I noticed it on Shippo's cheek as well, but I am sure it had not been there this morning. And that howl right after Kagome jumped in the well. I think that was Sesshoumaru, although I can't figure why for the life of me!"

"Yes, ye are correct. The heartbreaking howl that was heard was indeed from the great lord of the west. I believe that he is connected in some way to Kagome, although he does not bear the same mark. The pink tear drop you saw on the others is Kagome's mark. They have bonded. I believe that both Sesshoumaru and his pups may have marked Kagome as a pack member. Somehow, Kagome also bonded with the pups and young Shippo. Did ye not sense the holy power in them? It is weak but it is there. All who bear her pink tear drop now carry a portion of her power. I suspect it has made them immune to holy powers. It may also have given them some ability to wield the power, but I know not for certain." Kaede hadn't needed to be close to the young lords and Shippo to know. She could feel the new power in each of them from right where she sat.

"She gave them her power? Well, I understand her marking and being marked by Shippo, but Sesshoumaru's pups? And if Sesshoumaru marked her as pack, that is a serious thing. He would be able to sense if she is in danger and share some of her feelings. That makes sense though. When she went through the well the bond must have been cut and that only happens when the person marked dies, which explains that howl." Sango finally understood and her knowledge of demon traditions was finally being useful.

"But then, when would this have happened? I didn't sense it that last time we saw her which means…it means she lied to us about where she had been. She had to have been with Sesshoumaru. But why would she be with him and why lie about it?" Miroku's question hung in the air for a few moments before Kaede merely smiled at them.

"That is for Kagome to say when she is ready." She looked pointedly at the still unconscious hanyou and the others took the hint. Discussing this further was not a good idea just in case Inuyasha woke up. Hearing talk of his brother and Kagome would only send him back out looking for a fight. Sango and Miroku then did their best to settle down to sleep. It had been a busy day, and Sango slipped into a peaceful rest rather quickly. Miroku, though, had a hard time falling asleep. He knew there was more and Kaede knew and was hiding things from them. Never before Kagome's disappearance had he ever gotten that feeling from the old miko and now it was driving him crazy. He felt like the answer was right in front of him and he just couldn't see it. When he finally managed to find sleep his dreams were a swirling mass of questions and pink teardrops.

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Kouga had reached his den in the late afternoon hoping and praying that one of his wolves had found her and she was there waiting for him. What greeted him, however, was a very depressed pack. All who had been sent out to search had returned empty-handed or pawed. They all loved Kagome who they had accepted as a pack sister. Ginta and Hakaku were especially upset, both sitting around a fire just staring into the flames. Kouga checked in with each wolf individually, hoping that one may have found some hint or clue to where she could be. After hours of disappointment he finally gave up and sat down next to Hakaku, staring into the flames as well.

"So you didn't find anything either, Kouga?" Ginta asked softly.

Kouga shook his head. "I don't think so. While I was searching the west I thought I had smelled her but then Lord Sesshoumaru showed up and kicked me out of his lands. Now I'm not sure if I had really smelled her or not. And we need to do something about Ayame. Even the ice lord thought she was my intended. How in the world did he hear about it? Is she sending out announcements or something? I don't know why she can't understand that I am not interested in her! All because of one stupid thing I said years ago, too, and she was just a kid! How do I get her off my back so I can focus solely on my Kagome?"

"Yeah, she refuses to take no for an answer. Ayame must really love you." Ginta let out a little sigh. He wouldn't mind mating Ayame, but she didn't even look at him. No, she only had eyes for Kouga who had absolutely no interest in her. It kind of reminded him of how Kouga could only see Kagome even though it was clear, to him at least, that she only saw him as a friend. But no matter how many times he tried to give him a hint Kouga merely ignored him.

"Love me? No, she only wants to mate me because her grandfather thinks it would make the packs stronger. She does anything the old wolf tells her."

Hakaku merely shook his head. He had seen the way she looked at the wolf prince when he wasn't looking. Ayame was definitely in love with Kouga. There was no doubt in his mind. "So, you thought you smelled Kagome in the western lands?"

"Yeah. It was odd though. For a minute I thought I smelled that kit that follows her around too. And when I met up with her friends and the mutt back at the village the kit wasn't there. It couldn't have been them, though, because Sesshoumaru would definitely have smelled them both and removed them from his lands. You know how he feels about his brother. I doubt he would allow anyone who travels with the half-breed anywhere near his palace, or really anywhere at all in the west. He would have made me take them away with me. I had to have been imagining it. You know, maybe my mind was playing tricks on me because I wanted to find her so badly."

"I hope sister is alright somewhere. She has been missing for a long time now, and none of us found any trace of her at all." Ginta really was worried. Kagome was nice to him, to everyone really. She didn't deserve to be kidnapped or even worse eaten by demons. And if Naraku had found her?

"Well, I'm going back to the village tomorrow to let them know that no one found her. I guess we will decide what to do from there. I don't care if I have to search every inch of Japan myself. I will find her, and I will find her alive. I don't believe that something could have happened to her. I refuse to even think that she could be dead. No, my Kagome is too strong for that. She's out there somewhere."

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It was dark when Kagome finally woke. She felt awful! Her eyes burned from all her tears, her chest and back hurt from her sobs, and to top it all off, she was hungry! Checking the time she found that it was nearly midnight. Surely everyone was in bed. She was not in the mood to see anyone right now. She opened her bedroom door quietly and crept down the stairs into the kitchen. She didn't turn on any lights, in hopes of not waking anyone. When she opened the refrigerator door, however, the light illuminated her grandfather, sitting quietly at the table. Letting out a sigh, Kagome grabbed a snack and sat down across from him.

"Your mother said you were quite upset. You must understand, Kagome, we did not wish to keep this from you. It was necessary." Her grandfather's voice was low and serious, a change from his happy and noisy persona.

"So, you were in on it too, huh? What about Souta? Does he know too?"

"No, Souta does not know, and he does not have to be told if you prefer. Or we can explain things to him later, when you return to the past. You have to understand, Kagome. We were not even sure that the prophecy spoke of you until you had been pulled into the well. Things were laid out in a specific order, as you read in the scroll, and you could not know before it was time, or things would not have taken place as they should, and all could have been lost."

"Yeah, I know. I just wish I could have known. I spent two years blaming myself for breaking the jewel, and now I find out I was supposed to? It would have been good to know, don't you think?"

"While it may have made you feel better, it would have also changed your experiences during that time. The hardships you lived through have made you stronger. Tell me, Kagome. Did you understand everything in the scroll? I am here, you know, to try to help you interpret it."

Kagome nodded. "Yeah, Gramps, thanks. I think I know who courage, knowledge, and friendship are, but love? That made no sense. I have no idea who that might be. And the three things that I apparently have experienced so that you could give me the scroll? What were those?"

"My dear, the three things I can help with, but the love, well, that is something that will become clear with time. You just need to keep an open mind and remember that first impressions are not always everything. The three things, now let me help you. The seven treasures give a love before unknown. In the last week or so, when your friends thought you were missing. Where were you really?"

"I was helping Inuyasha's brother, Lord Sesshoumaru. His pups had been cursed and I was the only one who could save them." Kagome paused for a minute. "His seven pups…they wanted me to be their mother, then each marked me as pack, look!" Kagome lifted the spell and rolled up her sleeve to show her grandfather the seven lines. "That's what it is, isn't it! They are the seven treasures and they gave me the love they would have given a mother, but they never had one before!"

"Yes, my dear. Now, what of the second. A great power gives the gift of the night sky. This lord of yours, he is powerful, no?"

"Yeah, but a gift of the night sky? Sesshoumaru gave me a dog, a black dog, but that can't be it."

"Is that the only gift he gave you?"

Kagome unbuttoned the first three buttons of her shirt and looked at the mark left by Sesshoumaru. She found herself staring at "the night sky" she whispered, more to herself than anyone. "He called it a gift when he marked me as pack, and his mark is the night sky."

"And the third, granddaughter? The blue flame of Seven Treasures burns bright?"

"I'm not sure. The pups didn't do anything with flames, let alone blue flames. That sounds more like Shippo's." She rolled up her other sleeve, showing her paw print in fox fire.

"Kagome, Shippo's name means seven treasures."

Kagome's jaw dropped. "It's just…it's…so… surreal! To read about things that have happened to me on a scroll that had been written hundreds of years ago, and every detail is right!"

"The prophecy was given by an ancient seer, and has been guarded by the descendants of Midoriko for nearly one thousand years, and now it has come true, just as it was written. You are, without a doubt, the new great priestess, destined to defeat the great evil and redeem Midoriko's soul."

"Gramps…you and Mama had to of known about the marks, but no one has seen them before now, besides those who gave them to me. How did you know?"

"Your mother is a priestess herself and could sense the marks. She also had been checking in on you. Ask her tomorrow and she will show you. Now, you should be off to bed, granddaughter. Much lies ahead of you and you will need your strength."

Kagome nodded before placing her dishes in the sink and padding softly up the stairs to her room. She fell asleep quickly, this time with a smile on her face. It was comforting to know that everything was going according to plan, even though she had never known there was one.

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Sesshoumaru was having a very strange dream. He was sitting in the garden with his mother at her favorite spot and she was talking to him. The strange thing was that he couldn't hear all the words. There were blank spots, where he could see her lips moving but there was no sound.

"Sesshoumaru, do you remember…I told you when…just a pup? About the dream I had right before…your father? It will soon be time my… you to find… buried for her."

He was staring at her sitting there looking as beautiful and perfect as ever, just like he remembered her. But why couldn't he hear everything she was saying? He couldn't understand what she meant. Too much was missing. "Mother, I cannot understand you. What is it you are trying to tell me?" She reached out and touched his hand. "What is buried where?"

She simply smiled and continued on. "I am so happy that you finally…love her as you…to. It's here my son… to find it. I couldn't believe…but then I…in your hand. It was…had been described. I am so glad that…your place in her heart."

"What was in my hand? Are you speaking of Kagome?" He was getting really frustrated now. If she had something important enough to tell him from beyond the grave then he wanted to know what it was! He wanted to hear every single word! It had been so long since he had heard her voice.

"You are the fourth...keep her safe. Find the scroll…Akihiro…hidden in the…shelf. It will explain…the human child…to find. The miko will…blood from each of…the kit as well. I believe you will…the changes it will cause."

"What scroll am I to look for? Akihiro? What about Kagome and blood? Nothing is making any sense!" He was getting increasingly aggravated.

"I am sorry for that. I am…strong enough to…you need to know. I know you…stand eventually. Sesshoumaru, my son… obstacles but I know…them. You are more powerful… anticipated. The priestess was right." She stopped talking then and rose from the bench. She slowly started to walk away.

"Mother, wait. The priestess was right about what? What obstacles? Don't go yet. Mother."

She turned back and looked directly into her son's eyes. "She…about everything. I love…son. I love you." At her last words she faded from solid to see through until she was gone completely.

Sesshoumaru woke with a start. _'What the hell was that?' _Had that really been his mother? Was she really talking to him from the other side? What had she meant? She said so much but none of it made any sense. He had tried to read her lips when he couldn't hear her words but it didn't work. Things didn't line up, as if sound and sight were working at different speeds or something. He tried to remember everything he had heard and spend the next few minutes trying to make any possible sense of it but he got nowhere. Finally he looked around and noticed that it was nearly dawn. He had been asleep for much longer than he had thought. He pushed the memory of the odd dream out of his mind and instead thought about the miko he missed so much.

The whole well thing was really bugging him. Where could the well possibly take her that the mark would be cut off? He could feel the magic in the well, but where could it lead? Where was she really from then? This explained why she had never shown him her home or her family but instead only things from here. He knew she had come upon his brother by accident, that she had been lost, but nothing more. There had been no mention of her mother and father or of any siblings, but she had said she had a brother on their flight to return her to the village so he knew now that she at the very least had one. He wondered why the well was such a secret that she wouldn't tell him, at least until he remembered that until a short time ago he had been considered an enemy and even though she now called him a friend did not necessarily make her trust him completely.

He didn't know how long it would take her to return, though the monk had said two to three days. He wasn't sure he could wait that long. Ever since the first moment he gave her his youki he had been able to at the very least feel her presence with him. But now he was alone, completely and utterly alone. He couldn't feel her at all, as if she had never been there at all. The lingering scent of her in the clearing was the only reminder of her existence. And it just wasn't enough.


	23. Watch Your Words or Watch Your Back

**Chapter 23 – Watch Your Words or Watch Your Back**

The smell of a five-star breakfast woke Kagome a short while after dawn. She awoke refreshed and ready to face whatever was to come. Once she had had time to process all of the new information it didn't seem all that bad and she was looking forward to seeing her father again! Although she was no longer angry she still had a few choice things she would like to say to him. She dressed mechanically and then followed her feet downstairs and sat at the table, her mouth watering at all the choices. She listened to her brother chatter about his new favorite video games and his friends while she ate and then hugged him, ruffled his hair, much to his distress, and watched as he left for school. Once he was gone she helped her mother clean up the breakfast dishes in a comfortable silence.

When they had finished her mother dried her hands, turned to her daughter and said, "Come with me, Kagome. It is time to give you the arrow and show you something." Kagome followed her mother out to the storage shed and watched as her mother brought down two boxes, one round and one long and thin. She handed her the latter and they sat down on the floor.

Kagome looked at the box in her hands. It was made of wood and looked absolutely ancient, which she guessed it probably was. It was sealed with sutras and she could feel the power flowing from it.

"Don't open that until you get back to your friends. You can let them read the scroll if you like when you tell them about this all. Kaede will be able to help you. She is the miko you found to help guide your way. Your grandfather said you and he talked last night, so you understand everything in the scroll, right?"

"Yeah, Mama. Everything except for Sakimitama, the embodiment of love. Known but unknown? I don't get it and I don't have a clue who it is!"

"That is not yet for you to know. You will find out soon enough. The clues will help you realize the correct path to take when the time comes. You may be surprised, though." Her mother smiled at her knowingly. She knew, alright, just who would be Kagome's love and her eventual mate but if she told her now Kagome probably wouldn't believe her anyway. "Now, what I have here is the answer to your question yesterday, how did I know if you were safe." She pulled the lid off the box and carefully lifted out the seeing stone on the silver plate. "This was given to me by your father before he left. I can use it to see him and know he is safe. I can also use it to check in on you. Here." She handed the item to Kagome.

"Wow, mom, it's beautiful!" Kagome ran her finger lovingly over the carved moons, her mind drifting for a moment to another moon she wished she could trace with her fingertips, if only just once. "How does it work?"

"Just look into the crystal and think of the one you would like to see. It will show you what they are doing right now on the other side of the well."

Kagome looked into the crystal and focused her thoughts on Sesshoumaru. She missed him, whether she wanted to admit it or not, and she didn't know when she would get the chance to see him again. She watched in awe as the light swirled in the crystal before the picture cleared. What she saw was not what she had been expecting. At first all she saw was Sesshoumaru's face. His eyes were blood red, his markings jagged, and he looked downright feral. The view pulled back and she could see him standing next to the well. _'What is he doing at the well?'_ It pulled back further and she saw what appeared to be making him so upset. Kouga was standing a few yards away and appeared to be yelling at Inuyasha, who for once **was not** fighting with his brother, but unsurprisingly **was** fighting with the wolf. _'Oh, no. Not Kouga! I'm not ready to deal with him too! But why is Sesshoumaru so upset?' _As she looked on she saw Shippo and all seven pups standing a bit behind Sesshoumaru and Kazue standing beside him in her larger battle form, fur raised in anger. She appeared to be growling at the wolf. _'Whatever Kouga is saying is not making anyone happy, that's for sure.'_ She watched as Sesshoumaru began to slowly stalk towards the wolf, who seemed to be completely ignoring his presence instead choosing to yell at the much less dangerous hanyou. _'Is he stupid? Doesn't he sense Sesshoumaru right behind him?' _

"Shit, mama, I gotta go, now! I'll come back as soon as I can to get my stuff. Can I leave this here? Things are not going to be pretty over there." She handed her mother back the seeing crystal and the long sealed box and ran at top speed to the well house, diving into the well without hesitation.

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Things were not going so good near the well. Inuyasha and the others had awoken to the form of Kouga standing in the doorway to the hut, cursing and demanding to see his Kagome. Of course, as always, Inuyasha, who still had a killer headache from yesterday's meeting with a few trees, launched into his 'She is not yours' rant. He flew at the wolf, knocking them both to the ground outside the hut. Miroku and Sango were quick to follow, weapons in hand just in case they were needed.

Kouga had been shocked when he had approached the village. He could smell her. She was here somewhere! She was alive! It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. No matter how much of a strong front he had put up for his pack, he had been very afraid that they might never find her or know what happened to her. He couldn't have gone on never knowing. But now he didn't have to worry at all! She was here and he would be seeing her any moment. But then when he got to the hut, her scent was too weak for her to be inside. She had been here but left again? Why would the mutt have let her out of his sight? He had to see her. He needed to see her right now, to see for himself that she was safe.

Inuyasha was stressed enough with his brother near, and for some incomprehensible reason, interested in his Kagome. He still didn't know how Sesshoumaru knew Kagome had gone or why he even cared. All he knew was in his mind his brother was considered a threat to her, and now here was another. And to top it all off he could tell that his brother and his runts were still at the well. Why was he still here?

"I know she was here damnit! I can smell her! What did you do with her, you worthless mutt? Did you lose her again? Or did she finally decide to leave you on her own?"

"Go away, Kouga. She's safe and fine and she damn well doesn't need you here too!"

"What do you mean 'too'? Who else is here?" Kouga lifted his nose and caught the trail of Kagome's scent headed out of the village. "Never mind. I'll find her myself."

As the wolf sped away Inuyasha threw his hands in the air in defeat. "He is so gonna die." Sango and Miroku nodded their agreement as they all took off heading to the well where they knew all hell was about to break loose. They all knew now was not a time to bother Sesshoumaru even if they didn't quite know why.

When Kouga reached the end of the trail he saw he was in a clearing with the old bone eater's well in the middle. Kagome's scent ended here, but its sweet smell was literally drowning in the smell of dog. Kouga turned, intent on returning to yell at the mutt some more but they were already there. More choice words were exchanged while Miroku and Sango whispered back and forth about the marked absence of nine dog demons and a fox. Where had they gone?

Sesshoumaru, his pups, and the kit were at a stream not too far away, with Kazue tagging along. They were hungry and he had decided now would be an excellent time for a lesson on fishing, since he refused to go far from the well just in case she were to return. They were doing quite well, too. The kit seemed to have had some experience in the field, probably taught by Kagome as he knew the hanyou would never have had the patience. The wind shifted slightly and he caught a scent he did not want to smell and definitely not from the direction of the old dry well. The damn wolf was here! He took off with the others following close behind. When they arrived in the clearing they were just in time to hear the words that allowed Sesshoumaru's beast to break free of its locks and chains.

"Kagome is my woman. She **has** **always been** my woman. She **will always** **be** my woman. And I am tired of you risking her life and dragging her into danger. She is coming back with me to my den where I know she will be safe whether she likes it or not. And she will be my mate! I have had claim on her for nearly two years and I am **tired** **of waiting**. I will take her as my mate as soon as I get her back to my den and she will **love** **it!**" The last bit was said with a very lecherous smirk and a very dark tone.

No one had noticed the slowly increasing growls coming from behind the wolf in the direction of the well. Finally Inuyasha, who had been **very** distracted by the wolf's words, noticed his brother slowly moving towards them. "Fuck!" Inuyasha muttered.

"**Exactly**! Now you're getting it mutt. Fucking! And a lot of it!" The wolf failed to notice the swirling aura of fury approaching him as Inuyasha herded his friends out of the line of fire. "What's the matter mutt? Finally realize just how much she's going to love it when I give it to her? I promise you, she will have forgotten all about you by morning. She won't even remember your name. All she will be able to say is 'Kouga'!" The last word was in a high falsetto, Kouga's very poor impression of Kagome, who, by the way, had come through the well just in time to hear his last few sentences.

Kagome stood at the bottom of the well frozen for a moment. She couldn't believe Kouga had said that! How many times did she have to tell him no? Her shock turned quickly into anger as she climbed the vines and hoisted her way out of the well. Kouga was still facing the now retreating Inuyasha who was pushing a completely shocked Miroku and Sango trying to move them to safety, all the while trying to hold back his own transformation. The Tetsusaiga was at his waist but the words of the wolf were more than he could handle and he was slowly loosing the battle as well. Sesshoumaru was now only a few feet behind a gloating Kouga who was still doing impressions of her crying out his name in what they guessed was supposed to be orgasmic bliss, but in reality it only sounded creepy.

They suddenly felt her again and the pups and kit turned to look at her. She looked just as scary as their father. Her bright pink aura danced like flames around her as she stalked forward and stood next to Sesshoumaru, Kazue between them. He glanced over at her and his beast, who was in full control, gave her a toothy smirk filled with elongated, gleaming, deadly fangs. They stood silently together auras blazing, shifting, and mixing around them. Akihiro was distracted for a moment by the sight of it. In any normal circumstance the aura of a demon and a miko would clash against one another, fighting and blocking. This, however, was not happening. Instead it seemed as if the two were wrapping around each other, feeding off each other's strength. It was nearly impossible to tell where one stopped and the other began. He took it as a sign. The aura of his father, a powerful demon lord, and the aura of Kagome, an equally powerful miko who they all wanted as a mother, had reached out for each other, blending together in a way only two fully mated and bonded youkai soul-mates would. It shouldn't have been possible, and yet there it was right in front of him. And it was a beautiful sight. His father and Kagome had to be soul-mates, destined for each other. It was the only explanation possible.

Kouga finally finished his dirty monologue and realized he was in trouble. He turned slowly and came face to face with a very scary Sesshoumaru, a large black and red dog he had never seen before, and an even scarier Kagome. He had never seen her so angry!

"So, Kouga, is that really what you think I would sound like? Funny. It's not quite how I would have imagined it." Her tone was filled with bitterness and rage.

Kouga looked from one to the other and back again, completely ignoring the snarling dog between. No, they were much, much scarier than the dog. His entire being was filled with fear but he could not stand down. Then he would look like a fool in front of his intended. Deciding on his course of action Kouga forced down his fear and stood tall. He needed to distract her from his previous words and hope she would forget them. "Kagome! There you are! I was so worried when I heard that dog-face over there lost you. Thank Kami you are safe, although that would have never been an issue if you had been with **my** pack."

Kagome glanced to her left, still confused about the feral state of the demon lord but feeling no threat to her from his direction. There was, however, a very tangible threat to the wolf prince floating over the clearing as both brothers released growls so deep and angry the sound made all the humans shudder reflexively.

Inuyasha, who had been looking at Kagome like she was crazy for just standing there next to his out of control brother, snapped back to attention. "That's it, you fucking mangy wolf! How dare you come here, insult Kagome's honor like that, and then expect to talk to her like nothing happened! I am tired of fucking saying this! SHE IS **NOT** YOURS!" With a final snarl Inuyasha dove at the wolf, claws out and ready for blood.

Not to be outdone, Sesshoumaru jumped forward as well. Kouga was doing his best to avoid the blows by relying heavily on his jewel shard enhanced legs, but it was rather difficult avoiding attacks from two sides. He jumped to the left to avoid the poison claws ready to tear into his flesh only to jump right into a ready fist that sent him flying back into a tree. His head bounced off the tree, disorienting him for a second. Before Inuyasha could even register the punch had connected Sesshoumaru moved forward, lifting the offending wolf into his signature hold. His claws were wrapped tightly around the now flailing wolf's throat while his feet dangled over a foot off the ground. He slammed him up against the tree that once again had the pleasure of bouncing off of the back of Kouga's skull.

Kouga gasped for air before he started clawing at the arm holding him. He knew the demon lord had only one arm and he intended to use his misfortune to his own advantage. The forearm of the taiyoukai was being torn to shreds, blood pouring down and covering the chest of the hanging wolf.

Seeing that Sesshoumaru had a handle on things, even though he had no idea why he even cared once again, Inuyasha crossed the clearing to stand near Kagome just in case the wolf got loose and tried to come near her or kidnap her again. Kagome had been content to watch. She had finally decided that Kouga would not learn the easy way, that maybe he needed some sense knocked into him. But now, watching the wolf turn blue and seeing the demon lord's blood running down Kouga's body and pooling at his own feet, she had to get involved. Brushing past Inuyasha who was too stunned to grab her, she ran forward stopping only a few feet from the two demons locked in a battle of wills. Neither would back down. Kouga refused to pass out, fighting for air. Sesshoumaru refused to give in to the blood loss and damage his only arm was sustaining by letting go.

Kagome did not hear as Inuyasha called out to her to stop or how Sango cried out to be careful. She only saw the two in front of her. "Sesshoumaru! Please, let him down! Don't kill him!" Her voice was pleading, her distress obvious.

"Give it up, Kagome! Let Sesshoumaru kill the bastard! He deserves it!" Inuyasha yelled at her while approaching slowly. He knew better than to rush at his brother while his beast was in control. He could lash out and end up hurting Kagome, who apparently had lost her mind and was standing right next to the action.

Sesshoumaru turned red eyes towards her before returning them to his prey. She dared to defend the wolf when he, Lord Sesshoumaru, fought for her very honor? The beast was in control and he did not want to release he who contended for her affections. He growled at her, the sound commanding her to back down and obey, to not get involved.

She, being human of course, had no idea what the growl meant, not that she would have listened if she had. She looked from his still blood red eyes to his wrist to the wolf's face and back and then reached out her hand, moving slowly, and placed it on his upper arm, running it down softly to his elbow above the damaged flesh hanging in ribbons from his entire wrist and forearm, the blood still pouring out. If things continued on as they were he wouldn't have any blood left! Feeling her touch his eyes snapped back to hers. "Sesshoumaru, please. He is an idiot and an ass but he doesn't deserve to die for it." His ruby orbs watched her blue ones as tears formed along her lids, threatening to fall. Watching as she cried for the wolf he snarled before releasing his hold, the wolf falling to a gasping lump at the base of the tree he had been held against.

Inuyasha had frozen completely when he saw Kagome reach out and actually touch his older, full demon, human hating brother. What was she doing? What made her think Sesshoumaru would even listen to her? When the demon lord actually dropped the wolf he had been shocked. Sesshoumaru had **listened** to a **human**? And he hadn't just put the wolf down to attack the miko either, as he had momentarily feared.

Sesshoumaru attempted to move away from her. Clearly she had chosen and her choice was not in his favor. He was surprised, though, when rather than rushing to the wolf prince's aid she held on to his elbow tightly. He looked down at her hand and then back at her face where tears now fell freely. The beast was confused. She had chosen the wolf, had she not? She had kept him from killing the one who would challenge him for mating rights. She should have been down on her knees in the dirt and blood checking on the wolf but instead she held to him, looking into his eyes as her tears fell. Why did she look like she was crying for him?

Miroku and Sango had run to Inuyasha's side, all watching the exchange between the taiyoukai and miko. She wasn't letting him go. Instead she was holding tightly to him while staring into his blood red eyes. Miroku was certain then that they had been correct in their guess that Sesshoumaru had, for some reason, marked Kagome as pack. They had to have a serious connection for Sesshoumaru's beast to not only allow her touch but to heed her request as well. He looked to Sango and they shared a silent thought. He won't hurt her. Not if she is marked as under his protection.

She pulled at him gently, her eyes pleading, and he allowed her to lead him, curious as to what she intended to do. Completely ignoring Kouga who had regained enough breath to call after her, she walked slowly with him in tow. Soon he found himself at the stream where he, his pups, and her kit had been fishing earlier. Looking at her again in confusion she motioned for him to sit on a flat rock along the bank. He followed her instruction blindly, still attempting to determine her motives. The scent of her tears unsettled the beast but thankfully her tears had slowed as they approached her destination and she wiped them away on her sleeve.

When Kouga had called out to Kagome, Inuyasha snapped out of his daze and funneled all his confused frustration out on the wolf. He rushed at him past his brother being led away by his Kagome and dove at the ever annoying, completely thick headed wolf prince. Kouga barely managed to avoid being landed on and jumped back and away. While he retreated Kouga watched in confusion as his love, his intended mate led away the dangerous feral demon lord of the west with no fear, and watched as said 'I would rather kill them all than suffer their disgusting presence' human-hating demon lord allowed himself to be touched and led by a human. After a few more attempted hits and misses Kouga decided to give up, for now, and took off in his funnel cloud of dust.

Kagome was horrified! He only had one arm to begin with and Kouga had shredded it! She could see the white of his bones showing through in places and she was sure that he was more pale than usual. She knew his beast was in control and yet she felt no fear. Had she taken the time to investigate her feelings she would have found that she was surprisingly comfortable in the presence of the great taiyoukai's blood beast. She did not speak and yet he seemed to know what she wished of him as he held his arm low over the softly running water. Glancing down, she was suddenly grateful that she had worn a long skirt today. She knelt down next to his arm, knees in the water, and careful not to touch the damaged flesh used the tip of one of his razor sharp claws as a knife to start a cut in her skirt, which she then tore. She tore it up the length until she reached where her normal attire would end, if not a little higher. She then tore the remaining off, leaving her once more in a very short skirt. Making use of his claws once more she tore the material that once was an ankle length cotton skirt into long strips.

He watched her intently, the beast now more than curious about her actions and reveling in her gentle touch and her obvious lack of fear. He had observed her handling of his deadly claws, how she took hold of his hand and used an inexplicably sharp tip as if it were her own to cut her skirt. Of course **he** had known all along despite the claims of his more rational side, that she had been made for only him even though her earlier actions had made him question for a moment whether it was too late. If too much damage had been done for her to ever see him as anything but a cold hearted beast. But now, now she was touching him with care, in a way he had not been touched since before his mother had passed. She had dipped one strip of her once long skirt in the stream and was trying to cleanse his wound without causing him pain. She was soaking the fabric and then ringing it out over the torn flesh with one hand, looking back and forth from her task to his face watching for any signs of pain or discomfort. All the while her other hand held his gently. She was tending to his wound so carefully. A pleased growl that more closely resembled a purr escaped him unbidden but unrestrained. His desired mate was caring for him, just as she should. The tender act spoke to the heart of his beast, only adding to his conviction that he had been right all along, and in the background his more civilized half agreed.

Hearing the growl she looked to his face once more, not sure what to expect. The calm, approving look he was giving her was definitely not it though. As the sound continued she shrugged her shoulders and moved on. Releasing his hand, she dipped the cloth in the stream once more and rung it out partially before she began to wrap it carefully over the torn flesh bit by bit, stopping at times to gingerly lift a hanging bit of flesh and move it to where it had once been. She continued on for nearly ten minutes, piecing his flesh back together like a puzzle and wrapping it gently in the moist cloth strips to hold it in place. She didn't like it and it wasn't her best first aid work but it was the best she could do with no supplies. She did not think it a good idea to lead a feral taiyoukai into a human village to obtain what little was left over of her medical supplies, which she had been intending to replenish on her return trip. But since she had left in such a hurry there was no time for or any thought to her large yellow bag.

When she had finished her task she looked up at him before she stood and gently placed her hand on his forehead, checking for a fever. He still looked too pale for her comfort. She encouraged him then to lie on the ground near the stream and she surprised him when, after she sat, she lifted his head into her lap. He lay looking up at her while she silently ran her hand along his cheek tracing the marks of his heritage, before her fingers moved to follow shell of his ear to its point and back before slowly beginning the journey again. His purr, which had only ceased between the time he lay and the moment she placed his head in her lap before recommencing, increased in volume. She watched his eyes as she touched him, not stopping to consider who she was holding so tenderly, nor who she was touching so intimately.

His beautiful mate had not only treated his wound but now was holding him and caressing him! Never before had he enjoyed a sensation so greatly. His chest rumbled with the sound of his satisfaction and the beast slowly relaxed, releasing his grip on control. The purring tapered off as his ruby eyes slid shut softly. When they opened again to observe her they had returned to the swirling liquid gold she was more accustomed to.

"Sesshoumaru?" His eyes met hers and she continued. "I'm so sorry! Your arm! I didn't have my first aid kit so I did the best I could, but it still isn't so great."

He merely grunted at her, moving his head a bit to nudge her hand to bring to her attention that she had paused in her ministrations. She smiled when she realized what he wanted and she continued her caresses, taking a moment to trace the crescent moon upon his brow with the tip of her pinkie as she had imagined herself doing just a bit ago. She slid one hand into his hair, pulling her fingers through the silver silk strands. Her other hand resumed its tracing of his stripes and his ear.

Taking in the look of total comfort and enjoyment on his face she spoke. "You like that, don't you?" She giggled a bit at the thought of the all powerful, ruthless demon lord enjoying the soft petting of her fingers. He was more like a dog than she had expected. "I figured it would soothe your beast so you could regain control, but I never figured that you would like it too!" Her smile widened at his surprised look.

Refusing to move from his coveted location, he spoke. "You knew that this Sesshoumaru was not in control and yet you risked injury or death by placing yourself alone and in close proximity to my beast?" He was shocked at her small nod. He had guessed that she was not aware of the danger but instead she had known and still treated his wound and soothed his beast at a risk to her own safety! And soothe the beast she had, expertly. Her closeness had drowned him in her wonderful scent, her soft touches speaking to his beast more than words ever could. She had accepted the presence of his beast just as easily as she had accepted his own presence. No one, absolutely no one would do such a thing, but **she** had. Yes, his beast had been right all along. She was indeed the one meant for him.

"I don't know why but I didn't think you wouldn't hurt me, in any form." She sent a shy, unsure smile at him. "Sesshoumaru, if you don't mind me asking, why did you let him tear up your arm like that? Why not drop him?"

He snarled at the mention of the wolf, an action that apparently didn't phase her a bit. Once he got past the small bit of rage that had flooded him he thought on her question. He had concluded earlier that to connect with her he needed to be open and honest with her so he decided to answer. "My beast refused to be the one to back down from the challenge, despite the damage. Do not worry yourself. This Sesshoumaru will heal. How is it, Kagome, that you knew how to soothe my beast?"

She shivered slightly as he spoke her name. She would never get used to that! Her slight movement did not go unnoticed by the taiyoukai who made a mental note to use her name more often. Kagome sat for a moment trying to think of a suitable answer. Finding none, she shrugged. "I dunno. I felt the need to do something, so I did it. I didn't do anything wrong, did I?" She was suddenly nervous and the shift in her scent was unpleasant. He decided to try to calm her fears.

"No. In fact you did everything right, at least for one in your place. If another had attempted to do what you had done my beast would surely have killed them, but my beast seems to have a soft spot for you." He paused, taking in her expression. "I believe this Sesshoumaru may have one as well." He watched as her eyes widened and her mouth opened and closed a few times before finally staying shut. She looked into his eyes, searching them for any hint of jest, but found none.

Not knowing what to say to his baffling revelation she attempted to change the subject as gently as possible. "Um, Sesshoumaru? I, well, I didn't want to try when your beast was in control, just in case he took it as a threat, but now that your back, I was wondering…if you would let me…ummm."

He narrowed his eyes at her, unhappy with the nervousness and discomfort in her voice and scent. She had been so comfortable before. "What is it you wish, Kagome?"

She shivered again before finally finding the bravery to speak her request. "I was wondering if you would let me, um, try to… to heal your arm." Her words came out rapidly, running together so that it was difficult to understand her. "I mean, I know you can heal yourself, and I don't mean to question your strength, it's just that it looked bad, and even if I can only help a little, you shouldn't be left with only an injured arm for defense. Something could happen to you! Wait, no, not that I think you couldn't defend yourself…"

"Kagome," he cut off her nervous rambling. "Yes, you may try. This Sesshoumaru appreciates your concern." He sat up; though he wished he had not and immediately missed the warmth of her body, the intensity of her scent, and the feeling of comfort her proximity brought him, and held his arm out to her once again. She slowly pulled the bandages from his arm unwrapping it carefully. The bleeding had thankfully stopped, partly due to the strength of his youkai blood, and partly due to the pressure of her careful binding.

She looked over it before looking up into his eyes again. "I'm so sorry." Her voice was low and full of pain. "I never wanted you to get hurt. I just thought that maybe he would learn a lesson this time. Usually I keep Inuyasha from fighting with him, but that apparently didn't solve anything. I thought…oh, it's an awful thought! I thought that maybe if he got a bit of a beating maybe it would get through his thick skull that I'm not his!" While she spoke, a pink light flowed from her fingers where she held into his large clawed hand with both of her own dainty ones. The light surrounded his arm and flowed up until the entire damaged area was engulfed in the warm healing light.

He felt a tingle as the warmth spread over the tatters left of his only arm. The tingle increased to a powerful itch but before he finally gave in to the overwhelming urge to scratch the feeling was gone and once he looked he noticed so were the wounds. His arm looked as good as new, and felt it too!

Kagome looked on in awe as she saw that she had not only successfully healed him but she had done so completely. His arm was once again the example of masculine perfection. She noticed, too, that he no longer appeared overly pale. He couldn't stop himself. He reached out his arm and pulled her towards him, molding her back flush to his chest with her body resting between his legs. His arm then wrapped around her waist, holding her tightly to him. He leaned down until his mouth was next to her ear before breathing out "Thank you Kagome. This Sesshoumaru greatly appreciates your kindness."


	24. Was it Something I Said?

**Chapter 24 – Was it Something I Said?**

The others were only slightly worried as they watched Kagome lead the feral demon lord away. Inuyasha, however, had been focused on Kouga who, after a little bit of encouragement, quickly left the area. He was no longer in the condition to fight, at least not the two inu brothers together. Sango and Miroku, though, were now sure Sesshoumaru shared some kind of connection with Kagome and had most likely marked her as pack, and it was unlikely that he would hurt her. They did not say this aloud, though. No, Inuyasha was not ready for that knowledge.

Inuyasha was too pissed off at the wolf to even realize that Kagome was now alone with his brother's beast. He had leapt away immediately after the wolf had left, finding a good tree to fume in alone. He was always upset by incidents with the wolf and he always ended up confused. He knew he hated when the wolf claimed Kagome but he wasn't quite sure why it bothered him so much. He sat in his tree trying to figure it out. He noticed after a bit that he had been thinking of Kagome as his. Not 'his shard detector' but his Kagome, his miko. This confused him even more and he was then stuck trying to figure out just what Kagome was to him. He was in his own world, oblivious to everything happening around him.

After a few minutes of waiting and wondering, Sango and Miroku had decided that they would not be coming back too quickly and had returned to the village, this time followed by the seven pups, Kazue, and Shippo. They all sat around the fire pit outside the elder miko's hut and awaited Kagome's return. Kazue sat with Shippo who pet her while deep in thought. He wondered just what was happening with his Mama and Lord Sesshoumaru. He trusted the demon lord now, but it still unnerved him for her to be alone with his beast. Sango was in her own world as well, trying to get her mind around the events that had just occurred. Miroku had tried to start a conversation and asked the pups some questions but they had refused to answer, and once Yoshi gave him a glare he stopped. That one reminded him way too much of Sesshoumaru himself!

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Naraku really regretted breaking that mirror. If he had the power to rewind time he most definitely would have used it. Now he had to wait until his Saimyosho returned to report any findings, though it didn't really matter anymore being as the miko was now safely back with the half-breed, the slayer, and the monk. He barely even acknowledged their presence as another small swarm of hell bees approached. Once he got the message though, his depression had faded into the background as his anger at himself transferred immediately to Sesshoumaru. Somehow he had managed to save his pups! How the fuck could this have happened? Kikyo failed him, again! She had sworn that no one but a pure miko would have been able to save them and that he would never be able to find one. Apparently either she had been wrong or she had been wrong. Of course, there was also always the possibility that she had intentionally lied to him but right now how it happened didn't matter as much as that the saimyosho had spotted the taiyoukai in his true form being followed by seven smaller white inu running through the forest.

Naraku slumped down in his throne-like chair. He must be losing his touch! Usually his plans worked at least partly, causing some of the intended pain and suffering. Even if he had failed, so far, to kill off Inuyasha and his group, he had at the very least hurt them with each plot. He needed time to think. He would come up with something, something good, but until then he would lay low, using his little spies to keep an eye on his enemies while he planned. He would get them and while doing so he would get the rest of the jewel! He had really needed to find Kagome and capture her now that Kikyo was dead, which was a new reason for Naraku to be furious with Lord Sesshoumaru. Now only the reincarnated miko could find the jewel shards he so desperately craved. But he couldn't rush. No, he had to take his time and figure out the perfect way to get the girl and cause the most pain to everyone else in the process, hopefully leading to the much desired end to their annoying and worthless lives. And the time he spent thinking and plotting would not be wasted. No, the girl and her group would continue to search for the shards, finding them for him until he was ready to collect his hard-earned prizes: one miko and as many shards as she had managed to get her pretty little hands on.

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Kagome wasn't sure what to do or what was going on. THE Lord Sesshoumaru, killing perfection, aristocratic assassin, was holding her tightly to his body with arm around her waist and his chin resting gently on her shoulder. It was very similar to the incident in his study while she was looking at the map, when she thought that she had felt him lick her ear. She had later decided that she had imagined that nice little tidbit but now she wasn't so sure. She could hear and feel when every so often he buried his nose in her hair and deeply inhaled her scent. What in the world was going on? Why was he holding her, sniffing her? And why was she letting him? She blushed as she felt him nuzzle her gently; his nose and chin rubbing her shoulder and the side of her neck below her ear. Without thinking, she tilted her head giving him more access.

Sesshoumaru couldn't have been more pleased. Okay, so maybe he could have been **more** pleased but for now everything was a perfect as could be. Even better than he had expected, really. She was allowing him to hold her to his body and when she tilted her head she had, in traditional inu body language, submitted to him while allowing his further exploration of the creamy and delicious skin of her delicate neck. He found himself nipping and kissing, every now and then running his tongue along her sweet tasting flesh. As he breathed her in again he noticed the spicy spike in her scent. He nearly groaned in response. Not only was she allowing his touch. She was aroused by it.

She had given up on thinking and was just enjoying the sensations he was evoking in her body. It was nice, really nice. Each touch of his lips caused tingles to spread through her entire body. The warmth of his tongue made her skin feel like it was on fire. She could stay right here forever. She felt needed, desired as she never had before. Inuyasha had never made her feel like this. He had never held her close in such an intimate way. He had never made her feel so safe. Each touch spoke to her soul and she felt an inner peace, a feeling of completion she had never known before. She, for that brief moment, felt complete, whole, and perfect.

Though he was enjoying their private time he knew that the longer they stayed the greater the chance of interruption. He was surprised as it was that his brother had not arrived already to drag her away from him. Why had Inuyasha allowed her to lead him away alone when he knew full well that his beast was in control? Why had he not just killed the wolf before? He now knew incidents like this one had been going on for some time and had been relieved to hear her say she had no interest in the wolf. But there could be other problems. Did his brother wish as well to have Kagome as his mate, now that the other miko was dead? Would he challenge for courting rights? Did Inuyasha suspect something was going on between him and Kagome? There were too many questions and he decided that he would need to have a chat with his younger sibling. Besides, he already needed to speak with him about a possible alliance so that he could stay as close to Kagome as possible and find a way to ask her to allow him to court her. He found that he was actually afraid to ask her, the fear of her rejection chilling him to the core in a way he had never before experienced. No, he would have to wait a while no matter how responsive to his touch she seemed to be. He knew that just because her body responded to him did not mean her mind was ready to accept him in such a way, no matter how much he wished for it.

Letting out a quiet sigh followed by one final deep pull of her scent, he traced the curve of her neck with his nose and whispered softly in her ear, "Kagome, we need to return to your friends before they come to take you back by force."

It took Kagome a few seconds to realize he had spoken and even longer for her brain to process what he said, but he didn't seem to mind as he used the time to kiss a trail from her ear down her neck to where the collar of her shirt cut off his access to her now tingling skin. Finally his words registered clearly and she stiffened, suddenly realizing where she was and with who and what her friends might think if they were to stumble upon them. A blush spread across her milky skin. Feeling her tense, he reluctantly removed his arm from around her waist and allowed her to scoot away and rise.

Once on her feet she stared towards the tree line. As soon as she moved away everything changed. She felt lost now. The feelings she had been experiencing were gone, as if they had never been. She felt a definite emptiness, as if she was missing something. The peace was gone, turmoil and confusion left behind. The insecurities that had been ingrained in her for two years returned like a tidal wave. She didn't know what to do, what to say. She pushed down all the odd sensations and the confusion, doing her best to act as normal as possible. Words tumbled around for a minute before she finally managed to speak. "Yeah, we better get back before Inuyasha decides to jump to conclusions and tries to kill you."

He chuckled behind her. "He is welcome to try." His words were soft and held no threat and she turned to look into his eyes, ending up caught there for a moment. "Come; let's get you back to the village. Everyone returned there and is waiting, except for the wolf prince who actually made a wise decision in fleeing the area, and Inuyasha who is alone a ways off from the group. It seems your friends have welcomed my sons as well."

Shaking the sensation that had attacked once again as their eyes met away, she forced out a response. "Really? Maybe Shippo invited them. I hope they are all getting along." She paused for a moment before deciding to ask one of the many questions that had been bothering her. "Sesshoumaru? What were you all doing near the well?"

He looked at her for a moment trying to decide how to explain before he looped his arm through hers and began to lead her away from the stream and back to the old miko's hut at the edge of the village where he could sense everyone was waiting. "The mark. Apparently when you went through the well to where ever it takes you," he paused, looking over at her and seeing worry in her eyes. "which I imagine you will tell me when you are ready. When you went through the connection made by the mark was cut. Such a thing should only happen when the one marked dies. When my pups and I felt the mark cut off we were concerned but also confused as we had no warning feelings of fear or pain, so we did not know how it would be possible for you to have been killed. We came to investigate and Kazue explained somewhat what had occurred before she too felt her mark cut off. Inuyasha refused to explain, of course, and while the monk tried to appease me by offering some information, he refused to tell your secret, which I understood."

"Oh. So you all thought I was dead?"

"Yes, and it is a fairly painful experience, especially for the young, when a mark cuts off as such. They were quite worried for you…" He caught her eye once more. "…and so was I."

She was speechless for a moment, her once fading blush flaring up again. "Oh, well, I'm sorry I worried you. I didn't even think about what would happen with the marks when I went home. If I had I would have tried to warn you somehow." They both slipped into their own thoughts then and continued to walk in silence until they were in sight of the now large group sitting around the outdoor fire pit. Kagome slipped her arm out of his and sped up a bit. She was met halfway by seven young demon boys who were very happy to see her again.

"Kagome! We were so worried!" Yuudai started.

"Yeah, when the mark cut we thought you were dead!" Isamu continued on for his brother.

Kagome looked down at them and noticed Hisoka looked close to tears. He appeared to have been the most frightened by the experience. She immediately bent down and swept him up in her arms and gave him a tight hug before pulling the two youngest in as well. "I'm fine guys, really. I just went home to see my family. I didn't know it was going to do that. Come on. Let's go sit with the others." She then stood and continued to walk with them the rest of the way to the others.

"But, Kagome…that doesn't make any sense. The mark should not have been severed no matter where you traveled to. Where exactly **is** your home?" Kagome smiled at the ever inquisitive Akihiro before sitting down.

"That, my dear, is a secret. So, what have you all been up to?" Akihiro blushed at her pet name. No one had ever called him anything but his name before, and hearing her call him such an endearment made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

"Well, after you left with father Shippo invited us to wait for you here." Hitoshi had a devilish smirk on his face. "What were you two doing for so long, anyway?"

"Hitoshi! Don't ask such things!" Yoshi scolded. "I'm sorry, Kagome."

"It's okay, really. Although you should be careful Hitoshi or you could end up just like my friend the hentai monk. He ends up getting smacked an awful lot. You wouldn't like it, I promise." She gave him a playful smile as Miroku chuckled softly. "I was just fixing up your father's arm is all. I had to wait a bit before I could heal it." Kagome finally looked up past the pups to Sango and Miroku who appeared to be listening intently to everything being said. She shot them a grin before reaching towards Shippo who immediately took the hint and leapt into her lap.

She listened for a while as the boys all chatted about games, powers, and more. Shippo was excited to have someone new to show his tricks to as everyone else had seen them too many times already. Inuyasha had still not come back and she stretched out her senses to find him. He was a ways away but probably within hearing range, so she couldn't talk openly with Sesshoumaru, who she noticed had not fully approached but was standing a bit away, or Miroku and Sango who she knew wanted some kind of answers. No matter how much she wished to tell them she didn't want Inuyasha to start another fight. She knew they had heard what the pups had said and noticed their familiarity with her. They had to have questions and suspicions. Thankfully, though, they appeared to be willing to wait. She looked around at all the faces when she finally noticed Kaede, who standing in the doorway to her hut. The sight of the elder miko jogged her memory. "Oh, shit! I need to go back. Some very interesting things have been brought to my attention at home and I left all my stuff there. I was in such a hurry to keep Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha from killing Kouga that I didn't even grab my bag."

"But how did you know that they were going to fight if you were…" Sango paused for a moment while trying to figure out how to word it. "…if you were…at your home?" That was the best she could do.

"Oh, it's a long, long story and I promise I will tell you all about it when I come back but I need to go home again. I'll be back in a few days, okay?" Kagome said her good-byes and started to walk to the well. She was nearly there when she was stopped in her tracks by Sesshoumaru.

He had been listening from off to the side for a while now and the secret of her origins was bothering him more and more. If the mark could not reach her there then how was he to protect her? How would he know if she was safe? Something could happen to her there and he would never know! When she said that she was returning and started to walk away he followed her. Then he did the only thing he could think of. He reached out and grabbed a hold of her arm. "No," was all he said.

Kagome turned slowly to look at the demon lord holding her arm. "Excuse me?" she said softly.

"I said no. This Sesshoumaru cannot allow you to go to a place that is unknown to myself, where not even the marks can reach, unprotected."

Kagome was silent for a minute, causing Sesshoumaru to think that she agreed. He was rather surprised, then, when she spoke. "Did you just say that you can't **'allow'** me to go home?" She felt her anger growing, pushing away all remaining confusion, as her powers rose inside her. "I'm pretty sure that **you** do **not** **OWN** **me**!" She looked down at the hand still holding tight to her arm and allowed her power to flow over her skin, singeing his hand slightly and causing him to pull it back.

He was rather surprised by her response. He was only trying to protect her, after all, and she nearly purified his hand! "Miko, this Sesshoumaru does not appreciate your tone." Before he could stop it his arrogant self had taken over. He could not allow a woman to speak to him as such. Habits are hard to break, you know. Really, he should have thought things through just a bit more, but then he had never been present for any one of the thousands of times Inuyasha had tried to keep Kagome from going home so he didn't know he was treading on very, **very** thin ice.

"Well, that's just too fucking bad! You are **not** going to tell me what I can and can't do anymore that I will let Inuyasha do it. Keep it up and you might just find yourself sporting a pretty strand of beads **just like his!** Now, I am going home. Do **not** try to stop me. Do **not** follow me to the well. Oh, and one more thing, do **NOT** bother to speak to me when I return. It might just be better if you weren't here at all when I get back!" She once again turned and began to walk away.

He could feel her anger and indignation through the mark and Sesshoumaru was stunned into silence. He knew she had fire, but damn! Despite himself he found that he was extremely aroused by her display as well as the burning tingle that he had felt when her powers ghosted over his hand. Her anger and power turned him on unlike he had ever expected or experienced before and he was glad no one was around to see as he turned to watch her as she stalked off, which wasn't really too bad of view even if she was walking **away** from him He watched her now tiny skirt sway with her hips, just barely covering the secrets hidden underneath. Oh, but to be a blade of grass beneath her, just for a few moments, so he could discover those secrets. What did she wear under there? The rest of her clothing was odd so he guessed that what he couldn't see was probably just as new to him. Once she was out of sight he turned a bit and walked off back towards the stream. He needed to sit in some cold water because if anyone caught sight or scent of his arousal he was sure he would never hear the end of it.

The boys had all felt Kagome's anger flare through the marks before the connection was cut completely. They all grimaced at the sensation but reminded themselves that she was alive and safe and would return, which seemed to help. Shippo had a pretty good idea of what was going on and why Kagome had been angry, having watched Sesshoumaru follow her away, and he decided to share. "Hey, guys, come on with me and let's go play." Once they were far away from the hanyou he started. "I think that maybe your father made the mistake of trying to keep her here. He had a funny look when he followed her. Kagome really hates that. Don't worry too much. She'll have forgiven him by the time she got through the well anyway. Definitely before she comes back." The others agreed that trying to stop her from leaving was definitely something their father would do. He did like to be in control of everything and he had no control over anything where she was going, wherever that was. They chatted some more and Shippo had a great time sharing some of his favorite stories of times when Inuyasha had managed to upset the miko just as much if not worse, along his rough measurements of just how deep the resulting hole was.

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The demon lord could not decide how to feel. He was torn between angry with himself for somehow screwing up, confused as hell at what had happened at all, and aroused beyond belief by her fury and power. He hadn't bothered to undress but instead had merely sat in the middle of the ice cold stream fully clothed in an effort to calm the raging erection he had been left with. While sitting there willing his body to calm and his blood to cool he tried to figure out what had just happened.

'You want to know what happened, do you?' His beast was definitely not happy with him at the moment. 'You made her angry! You made her so angry that she told us to leave! How, exactly, do you plan on courting the girl if she doesn't want you in her presence?' His beast was growling and snarling at him.

'_Calm yourself. This Sesshoumaru had no idea the miko would react as such.'_

'You should know better! Our intended is a strong woman and she will not be controlled. You could have at least asked instead of ordering!'

Sesshoumaru thought for a while at this. _'Perhaps you are correct, though this Sesshoumaru is not comfortable with her going to a place that I know nothing of and where we cannot follow.'_

'Neither is **THIS** Sesshoumaru, but at least **I** know better than to try to give her orders. She is not a subordinate bitch. That's part of why we like her, remember? Honestly, when I left her our head was in her **lap** for Kami's sakes. How did you go from the most perfect place on earth to her hating us in less than fifteen minutes?'

Sesshoumaru knew his beast was right, which was really getting rather old. He was used to being right all the time and completely ignoring the beast and now it seemed like the beast was right about everything lately! But what could he do about it now? She was angry, really angry, and as sexy as it was; it was not good for his cause. He sat for a while longer in the stream before he stood, clothes dripping. He looked around and extended his senses making sure no one was near to see, before he shook himself dry like the inu he is. It was faster and he didn't feel like dripping forever. Once he was sufficiently dry he sniffed the air searching for his sons and located them in a field a ways off.

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They had been playing tag for a while now once they had all had a good laugh at their uncle's expense. Their running and laughing stopped though when their father appeared in the middle of the field they were circling. He summoned them over and once they had arrived he spoke. "We will be returning to the palace now."

"But, father…" Yoshi couldn't even get a full thought in before he was motioned to be silent.

"The miko is not here and I have many scrolls that need to be read and responded to. Kit, you should return to your group." That was all he said before he turned and began to walk away. The children looked back and forth between them before the pups turned to follow, all with their shoulders slumped.

Shippo watched them disappear and felt a little tug at his heart. Why was Sesshoumaru leaving? They had made plans to bring his Mama and the demon lord together and **none** of them involved him leaving. What had gone on between his Mama and Sesshoumaru?


	25. A Depressed Demon Lord

**Chapter 25 – A Depressed Demon Lord**

Kagome was still frustrated as she climbed out of the well in her time. _'How dare that pretentious dog think he can tell me what I can and can't do! Damnit! It was bad enough when Inuyasha did it, and now his brother wants to control me too?! GAH!!!' _If anyone had been around to see her stomp from the well house to the family home they would have been rather disturbed by the sound the miko was making. If anyone had been around to hear, they would have sworn that she sounded like she was growling, as if she was possessed by a demon or something! And growling she was. Maybe she was spending so much time surrounded by dog demons that they were rubbing off on her? She entered through the front door, kicking off her shoes and stomping up the stairs. He mother just looked after her, not at all disturbed by the sound emanating from her **human** daughter.

When she reached her room Kagome slammed her door shut behind her before throwing herself onto the bed and screaming into a pillow. What the hell is it with dogs and ordering her around?! After a few minutes she finally began to calm and then she heard a soft knock on her door. Lifting her head out of the pillow she had nearly smothered herself with she called out, "come in Mama."

Her mother entered silently, closing the door softly behind her before sitting on the edge of the bed. "Kagome, honey, do you want to talk about it?" While she wasn't quite sure what the problem was, Hiromi did know that it needed a mother's touch.

Kagome heaved a sigh and sat up. "It's nothing Mama. Just sometimes I wish I had a zap collar for all the possessive, obnoxious, control-freak dogs around me." Then she laughed at the mental picture she had caused herself. Sesshoumaru wearing a dog collar being led around on a leash. Not such a bad idea.

"Isn't that what the subjugation beads are for?"

"Yeah, well, if only it had been Inuyasha then I wouldn't have a problem. No, mama, it was Sesshoumaru. For some reason he didn't want me to come home and tried to tell me I couldn't leave." Kagome sighed again. "I ended up screaming at him to not talk to me at all when I came back or to be gone altogether. Me and my big mouth."

"Why do you think he didn't want you to go, Kagome?" Her mother posed the question gently, allowing her daughter to come to the realization on her own.

Kagome thought about it for a few minutes while running the scene between them through her mind over and over. Why did he not want her to go? "Ah, damnit," she let out a sigh. "He doesn't know where home is; just that he can't reach it. (sigh) And when I go through the well it cuts off the marks. He feels the need to protect me now after what I did for his sons and he can't do that while I'm here." She looked up at her mother whose face held a look of total understanding.

"So he was worried for you."

"Yeah, I suppose so. But he didn't have to give me an order like a servant of something."

"Dear, I don't suppose he knew quite how to say what he wanted to. He does seem to be one who is used to being in control."

"Yeah, mama, your right about that. And I just flipped out on him. Great. I can just imagine what he thinks of me now." A thought struck her. "Hey mama, can I use the gazing ball thingie?"

Her mother smiled wide at her before standing and walking out the door. She returned only a second later holding the requested item. "I had a feeling you might want to use it. I'll leave you alone now dear. Dinner will be ready soon."

Kagome looked after her mother in awe. There was so much more to her than she had ever noticed before. Shaking her head to remove the odd thought she looked into the crystal and watched it swirl before settling on the demon lord. He was walking through the forest followed by his sons. "He's going home," she whispered. She reached out a finger to touch his face while whispering "Sesshoumaru, I'm sorry." She watched as he stopped walking while looking around. She saw then as he raised his hand to the cheek she had just caressed on the crystal. He looked more confused than she had ever seen. Did he hear her, or feel her? Did the crystal do more than she thought? "Sesshoumaru…" she saw him once again scanning the area. "I'm sorry I yelled at you." He scanned the area once more before shaking his head and starting to walk again. Kagome set down the gazing crystal as the picture faded out.

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He was pretty sure he was losing his mind now. He had heard her voice and it felt as if she had once again caressed the markings on his cheek as she had by the stream. A scan of their surroundings found nothing in the area. His connection with the girl was still cut off. And yet, just when he had been ready to dismiss it, he heard her again, a gentle whisper. Yes, it was certain. The miko was making him crazy. He shook his head roughly in an attempt to remove the strange thoughts before he continued his march through the forest. He had decided to walk, at least for a while, taking the time to figure out what to do. Several times his sons had tried to get his attention but he just motioned for their silence and continued on.

The walk home was annoying, at least in their opinions. Their father kept ignoring them. They wanted to know why they were leaving! They weren't supposed to be leaving! Once their father had paused, looking oddly confused, but then he continued on as if nothing had happened. Eventually he motioned for them to shift and they ran the rest of the way which was much, much quicker than the agonizingly slow walk. When they reached the palace their father immediately disappeared into his study, leaving them to talk to Rin about what had happened.

Once he was alone in his study he sat in a lump, his head once again rested on his arm atop his desk in a most undignified and un-lordly manner. This was how Jaken found him nearly an hour later, still motionless. "M..M..My Lord?" Jaken looked terrified. What was wrong with his Great Lord Sesshoumaru? "Are…are you …alright, my Lord?"

"Yes, (huge sigh) Jaken. Everything is just perfect."

Jaken stared at him, frozen in place and mouth gaping. Never had he heard his Lord sound quite so…depressed? Yes, that was it. He sounded depressed. But why would Lord Sesshoumaru be depressed?

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Shippo had returned to them after a while, still pouting and confused. Miroku and Sango had been sitting quietly by the fire still trying to understand all that had happened. How had Kagome known there was trouble on this side of the well from her side? What was Kagome thinking, walking off with Lord Sesshoumaru when his beast was so obviously in control? Eventually Inuyasha joined them, still grumbling about the 'fucking mangy wolf'. When Shippo returned alone they had asked him where the pups were. All they got in response was a "They went home." He then proceeded to go into the hut where Kagome's pillow still remained and curled up on it to sleep.

"Good riddance! It's about fucking time!" Inuyasha was still confused as to why his brother had been there to begin with and the fact that he was gone was a relief. Of course Kagome was gone again too, which he didn't like, but she said she would be back soon and he could always go check on her. He looked over at Miroku then who had a strange look on his face.

"What the fuck's up with you, Monk?"

Miroku was startled from his thoughts. "Huh? What? Oh, nothing Inuyasha. I was just thinking is all. Your brother's appearance was strange and we still hadn't figured it out. And now he is gone, as soon as Kagome leaves again. I just get the feeling there is more happening here than we know."

"Keh! Who gives a fuck?! The fucker's gone, that's what counts! What I wanna know is how he managed to save his herd of runts. From what I saw, Kikyo said that the curse was unbreakable except by a pure miko. How did that asshole find a miko to help him?"

Miroku and Sango looked at each other and then back to the hanyou. They had their suspicions of course and Kaede had confirmed some of it, but no one was looking forward to the explosion that would occur when Inuyasha figured it out. For once they were all glad that he wasn't big on thinking, especially not about things that were confusing.

Deciding it was a good idea to change the subject, Miroku spoke. "Inuyasha, would you like to help me gather some firewood for the night. Lady Kaede is running low, and since we will be staying a few days…"

The hanyou grumbled but agreed, standing and walking off with Miroku, leaving Sango alone who decided to go inside and try to talk to Kaede again.

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Ever since she had seen Sesshoumaru through the crystal she had been laying on her bed staring at the ceiling, thinking. She was trying to understand the feelings she had experienced while in his arm. Not just the tingles that had spread beautifully throughout her entire body, making every inch of her feel alive, but also the feelings of safety, peace, and completion. How could he have made her feel that way? She somewhat understood the feeling of safety. Since he was now her friend instead of her enemy and because he's such a strong youkai, she figured it was only natural to feel safe in his arm. No one could have caused her harm unless he allowed it, and she knew that would never happen. But the feelings of peace and completion, like she was suddenly whole still bothered her. She didn't think she had been missing anything since her soul had been made whole. That was all she had been missing, right? But then why did she feel like she was missing something now? Something had changed while she was in his arm. She had found something she didn't know was missing, and now that she did, she really missed it!

She focused then on his behavior. He had pulled her to him and held her so closely. And then there were the kisses and licks, the nuzzles and nips. And the way had had breathed her in like he was suffocating and her scent was the air he needed to live. What was going on with him? Why had he been acting so oddly? It was just like at the palace in his study, almost like he needed her. Like he wanted her. Did he want her? Did he like her? But that couldn't be possible! He doesn't like humans, and she's most definitely a human. It was just too odd. She was getting nowhere. She eventually decided to put it out of her mind and not worry about it. She couldn't figure anything out anyway! So she pushed down all the odd feelings and all the unexplained things he had done. And when she was done locking it all away in her mind she drifted off to sleep, having decided a nap before dinner would be perfect.

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Jaken had eventually left him alone, but only after multiple threats of disembowelment. Apparently he wasn't quite as intimidating at present. Since then he had not been bothered and now night had fallen once again. He decided to try to sleep in his own bed. The scent of the miko would only cause him to dwell even more on the argument, as well as the odd feeling he had experienced on the trip home. He changed into a pair of silk sleeping pants and slid between the sheets on his large, cold, empty futon. He tried to force all thoughts from his head so he could get some sleep, but **she** just refused to leave. What if she never wanted to see him again? What if she never spoke to him again? How could he survive without her soothing and delicious scent? How could he live without hearing her gentle laughter or seeing her smile? And her touch! Now that he had experienced her caress he found himself aching to have her hands on him once again. He had to figure out some way to apologize to her. It couldn't be too hard, right? He had done it before and she had forgiven him, and that was for trying to kill her! Surely she could forgive him for trying to stop her from leaving. He lay there staring at the ceiling for hours while trying to decide on a course of action, eventually falling into a restless sleep.

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They had been trying to figure out what to do since they had returned home. They didn't know what the problem was or why their father was acting so weird but chances were good that Shippo was right. But why would their father leave? They had never known him to back down from any challenge, and yet this time he ran away. Was their fight really that bad? When Jaken had come from their father's study mumbling about 'never having seen Lord Sesshoumaru so depressed' they knew **something** bad had happened. They stayed in their rooms talking and trying to come up with ideas until well after dark. They had heard their father go into his own chambers which they had not been expecting. They figured he would go to her room, seeking her scent once again. Since he hadn't, they decided they would and they crept silently into the room that held her scent still, curling up together and falling asleep.

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Sango had found Kaede alone, besides the sleeping Shippo, and tried to get more information out of her. She was sure the old miko knew much more than she was saying but she refused to share, saying Kagome would tell them all in time. Eventually the slayer gave up and instead helped Kaede prepare the evening meal. By the time Inuyasha and Miroku had arrived, both with armloads of firewood which was piled outside, the stew was ready and they all ate quietly before settling down to sleep.

Sango and Miroku both slept well for the first time in quite a while. Sango was sure her sister was safe and though she didn't know what had been going on yet, she was sure Kagome would tell her if they ever managed to get some time alone. She dreamt of sitting in a hot spring with Kagome, talking and laughing like they always had. Suddenly there was a noise in the bushes. Sango picked up a rock and threw it into the brush at the side of the spring. It met with something solid with a thump before the hentai monk fell out of the bushes with a lump on his head and a smile on his face. They laughed at their now unconscious friend before returning to their girl talk. She slept with a peaceful look on her face.

Miroku had given up on trying to figure everything out. He knew that their suspicions had most likely been right from what they had witnessed earlier. Kagome trusted him, and he was sure she would confide in him soon enough. So when Miroku drifted into dreams they were once again filled with a certain woman with brown eyes, long dark brown hair, and a black and pink body-hugging outfit. No more pink teardrops, no more worries, just him trying to figure out how to peel that outfit off of her. He slept with a smirk on his face.

Inuyasha took up his resting place in the tree next to the old miko's hut. He liked sleeping outside better. He could keep his senses trained on the area while he rested, something he had learned to do when he was just a child, a hanyou child, alone in a hateful world. He had a hard time sleeping on the ground or inside. He just couldn't assure himself that it was safe. He stared at the stars for a while, still confused about Kagome. He knew he felt strongly about her, he wanted to protect her and make sure she was provided for and taken care of. But he didn't know if he had feelings for her like he had for Kikyo or not. Kikyo still had him tied up in knots, mixing things up in his mind and leaving him confused. She reminded him of Kikyo enough to make him wonder which feelings were really directed at Kagome and which were left over from Kikyo.

When he finally fell asleep he dreamt of memories of Kikyo when she was alive intertwined with memories of Kagome. Their faces mixed and faded from one to the other until he could no longer tell who he was looking at. First she asked him to use the jewel to become human for her, and then she said she loved him as a hanyou, then she asked him to come to hell with her, and then she begged him to wake, stay with her and live. He watched her shoot an arrow at him and pin him to the god tree and then he watched her pull the arrow out and set him free. Then the image of the woman in front of him split in two and Kikyo and Kagome stood before him once more. Kikyo walked off to the left and Kagome to the right, each turning and calling out to him. Which way should he choose? Which was the right path? Suddenly he was standing still while watching himself step forward and split in two, one running to Kikyo and the other to Kagome. As he continued to watch the Inuyasha that went to Kikyo was greeted with cold eyes and harsh words. The Inuyasha that went to Kagome smiled and gave him a warm hug. He heard her speak then. "I already forgave you. I love you too much not to. I will never leave you. I will always be your friend."

If someone had been watching the hanyou in the tree they would have seen him tossing his head back and forth with a look of confusion on his face. After a while, though, his thrashing stopped and he relaxed into a comfortable position with a content look on his face.

Shippo, who hadn't even bothered waking up to eat, was experiencing a dream he had suffered from since the death of his parents. Everyone was walking away from him. Everywhere he turned people were leaving him. Sango, Miroku, and Kirara walked away as he called out to them. Inuyasha let out a 'keh' before leaping away. Kagome walked away and jumped into the well, never pausing or turning at his cries as if she couldn't hear him. And a new group had been added as well. Sesshoumaru walked away without looking back, followed by his sons. However, each boy turned and looked at Shippo sadly before they disappeared into the trees. He was all alone again. Everyone had left him. The kit was tossing and turning until he fell off of Kagome's pillow and hit the hard wood floor of the hut, startling himself awake. He looked around, seeing Sango and Miroku were still there, as well as Kaede and Kirara. Kazue, who had found her way into the hut sometime during the night, walked up to him and nuzzled the still shaking Shippo. She followed him back to the pillow and they curled up together.

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Dinner was a quiet affair at the Higurashi Shrine as well. Souta was having dinner at a friend's house so it was just Kagome, her mother, and her grandfather. Deciding it was time to break the silence, her mother spoke. "Kagome, now that it is time for you to truly begin the journey you will probably be spending even more time in the feudal era, don't you think?"

Kagome let out a sigh. "Yeah, but I already am having so much trouble keeping up in school. At least summer break starts soon, but when it is time to go back in the fall, I don't know what to do."

"Don't worry about it dear. I think that you should take a bit of time and study for your final exams and then I will let the school know that you won't be attending next year."

"But Mama! Not attending at all? What are you going to tell them?" Kagome still didn't know what was going to happen in the future but if she ended up staying in her time for some reason, then dropping out of school would be a big mistake!

"Calm down, dear. I will tell them that you will be taking courses at home. You can sign up for correspondence courses. I've been looking into it and there are some good schools that will send you your books and things in the mail and allow you to take the tests online, at your own speed. You can study when you can and take tests when you come home. Plus, you have a lot more choices in courses. You might be able to find some things that will come in handy on your journey."

"Oh…well, I guess that sounds okay. But what will we tell my friends? They will expect me to be at home then, and if they visit and I'm not here?!" Kagome knew her friends weren't going to just stop visiting and calling. They were nothing if not persistent.

"Oh, we'll think of something. Will you be able to stay until your exams are over?"

"I don't know mama. They don't start until the week after next. I don't think Inuyasha will let me stay here for two whole weeks after I was gone for two weeks already, even if I promise to be able to stay for a long time after that. I think maybe I will go back tomorrow or the next day, tell them all about the prophecy stuff, and study there for the week, and then come back for exam week."

"Well, that sounds fine dear."

Dinner fell silent again after that, Kagome's thoughts returning to a specific demon lord. She just couldn't stop thinking about him, no matter how hard she tried. It was odd really. Usually when she was home she would be obsessing about Inuyasha, but she had barely even thought of him. She didn't even say good-bye to him earlier because he had been sulking in a tree again for some unknown reason. After helping her mother with the dishes Kagome went to bed, planning on returning to the past again in the morning.

Author's Note: Thanks goes to **Coffee Flavored Fate** for helping me with the revisions. **You're Awesome!**


	26. Preparation and Confrontations

**Chapter 26 – Preparations and Confrontations**

The pups had been awake for some time and their father had yet to come out of his room. They could sense him in there but he hadn't made any noise or left his bed. Eventually Yoshi decided to go in and check on him. He knocked on the door and waited but he got no response. Sucking in a deep breath, he opened the door and entered the room.

"Father? Father, are you alright?"

Sesshoumaru simply rolled over in the bed, facing away from his son.

"Father, we are worried. What are you so upset about? Does it have something to do with Kagome?"

Sesshoumaru didn't want to talk about it but he knew Yoshikazu wouldn't leave until he did. Letting out a sigh he rolled back over to look at his eldest. "You will not leave unless I speak, will you?" Yoshi shook his head. "Fine. The miko is angry with this Sesshoumaru. She told me to not speak to her when she returns, or better yet, be gone."

"What happened, Father? Why was she angry?"

"This Sesshoumaru made the mistake of telling her she could not leave." His eyebrow rose when his son started to laugh. "How exactly do you find this entertaining? If the miko will not see or speak to me, she will definitely not mate with me."

"That's not it, father." He giggled some more. "Okay, so maybe that is it. I wish you would have listened to us yesterday. When we felt her anger Shippo guessed what had happened and he was right."

"I fail to see how that is cause to laugh." He was getting angry now. How could his son laugh when the miko surely hated him?

"It's just… she's not mad at you. Shippo said that the hanyou does it all the time, trying to stop her from leaving. She yells and subdues him, but she always forgives him. It's almost a tradition. They fight every time she wants to go home. She always comes back to him, though."

"So you are saying the kit does not think this is serious?" Was it possible that she would forgive him and didn't mean what she said?

"Yes, father." Yoshi had a huge smile on his face. "She just doesn't like being told what to do." He watched as his father's face showed relief. "Were we not going to ask the hanyou to join his group? Now would be the perfect time to do so, while she is still gone. Then it will be a surprise when she returns."

Sesshoumaru sat up in bed and nodded. "Then that is what we will do. Tell Jaken to ready Ah-Un for the trip and to pack things for Rin. Jaken will also accompany us. Tell your brothers to gather whatever they may need and I will advise the servants as to what shall be done while we are away. We leave within the hour."

Yoshi nearly flew from the room, calling to his brothers as he went rushing to find Jaken. The toad was not happy of course, but did as he was ordered and Rin was jumping for joy. The boys gathered their things while Rin helped Jaken pick out what she wanted. Sesshoumaru dressed and spoke quickly with his head servant, giving orders for the household. It was less than half an hour later when they were all outside ready to go, Ah-Un with saddlebags fully loaded. Yuudai and Isamu rode on their father's youki cloud while the older five each formed their own. Rin and Jaken rode on Ah-Un and they were all approaching the village in no time.

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Kagome decided when she woke that she wasn't quite ready to return yet, instead choosing to go shopping. There were some things she needed to stock up on anyway, especially if they would be traveling for longer periods of time. She would buy extras and bring them over in a few trips. Kaede wouldn't mind if they left some things in her hut. They could probably carry more too, now that she had Kazue.

Deciding she would probably be buying too much to carry home she asked her mother to come along so they could take the family car. Hiromi agreed and after a quick breakfast and seeing Souta off to school they were on their way. They went to a supermarket since it carried most everything she needed. She ended up with bags and bags of ramen, quite a bit of jerky, chips, trail mix, and other ninja snacks her friends enjoyed, as well as a much larger supply of candy and pocky then usual. She decided to stay positive and she hoped to see Sesshoumaru, the pups, and Rin again very soon. With that in mind she picked up extra coloring books, pads of drawing paper, and big boxes of crayons.

She stocked up on bathing supplies, remembering to grab Sango's favorites, while her thoughts drifted to long flowing silver hair and she pondered how he managed to get it so shiny. Maybe it was just a youkai thing. She also grabbed every pack of band-aids, bandages, gauze, cotton balls, antiseptic wipes and sprays, pain relievers, and a large supply of feminine products as well, which she also kindly shared with Sango. There were some things from her time that she flat out refused to give up. She even remembered to get some arthritis medicine for Kaede. On the way out she remembered her newest companion, Kazue, and picked up a few different kinds of treats. She didn't know if an inu youkai would like them but she figured it was worth a try. Just to be fair she picked up some cat treats for Kirara. You never know.

They stopped in a bookstore conveniently located a few doors down and Kagome picked up a few new books on philosophy that Miroku enjoyed. She refused to buy him 'those' magazines that Inuyasha had seen once when he was shopping with her and made the mistake of mentioning to the hentai houshi. While in the bookstore she decided to get a big book of traditional bedtime stories. She wasn't very good at adlibbing.

So she had something for everyone except Sesshoumaru. She didn't know what to get him. What does one buy for a Great Inu Taiyoukai and Lord of the Western Lands anyway? She had no idea and her mother wasn't much help either. After quite a bit of thinking she settled on a gorgeous old-fashioned writing set, well, not quite as old-fashioned as he was used to. It consisted of three different fountain pens. Not quite a quill and ink but she thought he might like them. They came in a beautiful wooden box with velvet lining. She was sure to grab a few packs of refill cartridges too. Now all she could do was hope he liked it and then show him how to use them!

One final stop was made for Kagome to pick out some new clothing. There wasn't a whole lot of point in wearing her school uniform anymore and some of her things looked like they had been shredded by claws which in fact they had. She ended up with five pairs of jean shorts in different colors, which she figured were fairly sturdy, four pairs of jeans, also in different colors, some tank tops, t-shirts, and long sleeve shirts. She also grabbed two new pajama sets, one sleeveless with shorts and one long sleeved with long pants, a new nightgown that hung to mid-calf, and a new bathing suit. Socks, underwear, and bras were added too.

Her socks and panties had seen better days, but she needed new bras for a different reason. She had noticed that the ones she had were getting too small, as she had been filling out more lately. It took some time for her to notice but it was obvious now as she tried on a larger size that she was definitely more developed. She got a lot of socks, panties, and bras as they were small and wouldn't take up much space. They were things she refused to wear for more than one day at a time. This way, she wouldn't have to wash her clothes quite as often. She topped it all off with a pair of waterproof hiking boots, a pair of running sneakers, and a pair of flip-flops.

When all was said and done she had definitely been right. The car was packed full to overflowing and Kagome and her mother barely managed to squeeze their way in. On the way home Kagome was mentally covering her purchases in her mind, hoping to every Kami she knew of that she had everything. She had spent nearly every penny of her stored up allowance, even though her mother had offered to pay for everything. She didn't see why her mother should pay for things for people she had never met and figured she needed her money for their household. Once she was sure she had gotten everything she decided to ask her mother for her opinion on something she had been debating all day.

"Mama, do you think I should tell him? About the well I mean."

Her mother glanced at her before returning her eyes to the road. "Well, dear, do you trust him?"

Kagome thought about if for a minute. "Yeah, Mama, I do."

"Well then I don't see why not. Perhaps it will relieve some of his worries if he knows where you are going when you leave."

"I guess you're right. He's my friend now and I can trust him so I should tell him. It's only fair. He's told me things I don't think he's ever told anyone. Well, alright then. I'll tell him the next time I see him. That is, if I see him. Last night when I checked in on him he was leaving. I hope he comes back. I didn't mean it when I told him he should go."

"I'm sure he'll come back dear."

Kagome looked at her mother. She definitely looked sure. But how could she be so sure? "Mama, do you know something? Why are you so sure he'll come back?"

Her mother smiled at her. "I just have a feeling is all."

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Inuyasha had been sitting up in the God tree since dawn. Shippo was still pouting for some reason and Sango and Miroku had been resting in Kaede's hut while the old woman did her village rounds. His dream from the night before flashed through his mind from time to time. He missed Kagome and was having a bit of a fight with himself over whether to go see her or not. He had barely seen her when she had been there and before that they had been apart for nearly two weeks, so he was definitely in Kagome withdrawal. He had finally made the decision to go when he sensed the demonic energy approaching his location. He tensed, ready for battle and once the scent reached him he leapt to the ground, his hand on his sword.

Sesshoumaru looked down at the clearing where he had sensed his brother. Inuyasha was already looking for a fight and they hadn't even landed yet. He directed Ah-Un and his sons to land a ways back and he landed there as well, leaving Yuudai and Isamu behind with the others as he approached his brother.

"What the fuck are you doing back here you bastard? I just fucking got rid of you!" He glanced to the side when he heard Sango and Miroku rush into the clearing holding their weapons of choice. Kirara was there as well, but she remained in her smaller form. Just a few seconds later a tiny Kazue sauntered into the area and walked over to sit beside Kirara. Apparently they had made friends. Looking back to his brother, Inuyasha was surprised to see him still standing there just waiting for his attention.

When his brother was once again focused on him, Sesshoumaru began. "I have not come to fight you, Inuyasha."

"What the fuck other reason is there?" The hanyou was fuming. He just couldn't get rid of these assholes!

"As you know, Naraku had placed a curse on my sons. Because of this, as well as for his previous attempts on Rin, he must be dealt with."

"Keh! That's not the only reason."

"Indeed, brother. This Sesshoumaru is aware of his many crimes. After some thought, I have decided to propose an alliance and joining of the packs."

"What the fuck?" Never let it be said that Inuyasha lacked a way with words.

"I would like to join you and your group in your hunt for Naraku."

"No fucking way! Why the fuck would I want you to…" His rant was silenced by a smack to the head from the monk's staff.

"Inuyasha, do not be hasty. We should consider your brother's offer."

Sango nodded her agreement. "He **is** after Naraku too, so it makes sense we join."

"Not only that, but Naraku has proven that he somehow sees Sesshoumaru as in his way. This could be used to our advantage. We would be stronger together than apart." Miroku gave a small bow to the demon lord as he finished.

"What is **WRONG** with you?!!??!! He is the **enemy! **Or did you forget? He has tried to **kill** us **all**!"

"Nothing is wrong with us, Inuyasha. We just think that you shouldn't turn this down so quickly. Let him talk." Miroku looked to the taiyoukai again.

"Thank you Monk and Slayer for your assistance. This Sesshoumaru feels that a merging of the packs will make us a stronger power against our common enemy. We could better fend off his attacks, as well as be stronger during any battles. To combine my strength and extensive resources with your greater knowledge of the enemy and his workings would allow us to locate him more easily and finish him for good."

The hanyou now looked more like he was pouting than anything. "You mean **you**, Mr. All Powerful, need help from **us**? From a **filthy** hanyou and a couple **useless** humans? Keh! How do I know you won't try to steal Tetsusaiga from me during the night? Or kill us all when our guard is down?"

"I think we should at least wait and see what Kagome thinks," Sango said. "She might have some thoughts on this and she should have some say."

"Why the fuck would Kagome be on his side? He's tried to kill her too, remember!" Though they had been trying to keep themselves under control, a chorus of threatening growls could now be heard from the seven young inus standing a bit away. "Sesshoumaru, why don't you tell your brats to shut up?!"

Sesshoumaru clenched his jaw as he unconsciously cracked his knuckles while flexing his claws at his side. "It would do you well to not insult the heirs to the western lands."

"You should know by now, **brother**, those words mean nothing to me." The tone of Inuyasha's voice surprised his friends. They had never heard him sound quite so bitter before, and they had definitely seen bitter in the past.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, if you don't mind waiting a while, we would like to talk to Kagome before we decide. I think though that both Sango and I agree that a partnership would be to our benefit." Miroku watched as Inuyasha threw his hands in the air in frustration and jumped into the branches of the god tree once more.

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Kouga had arrived at his den the day before and all the wolves had been avoiding him since. It was clear he wanted to be alone. His mood had been swinging wildly from angry to depressed to confused and back again. He was angry at both Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru for interfering with his relationship with Kagome and also angry with himself for saying such stupid things without sensing her presence. She had been so mad at him! Never before had she allowed Inuyasha to fight him and this time she not only let Inuyasha attack him but Sesshoumaru too! And that was right about when the confusion would set in. Why had Lord Sesshoumaru been there, so close to where Kagome's scent ended? And why did he care what Kouga had said about Kagome to Inuyasha? The demon lord hated humans, so why would he take offense? What did it matter to him? And where in the hell had she come from? Oh, and Kagome was **so** mad! She would probably never speak to him again! If only he had kept his mouth shut! But no, he just **had** to try to rile up the hanyou, just for the fun of it. He had to find some way to fix this.

And so he had sat, all day and all night and all the next day too, trying to figure things out and trying to find some way to apologize to Kagome. He absolutely could not stand it if she hated him. Thoughts of his search for her returned and he focused on his midnight meeting in the western lands. Now that he thought about it, Sesshoumaru had gotten angry at him not when he mentioned Inuyasha so much as when he mentioned Kagome as his intended. No, it couldn't be. The very idea was just too ludicrous to imagine. No, Sesshoumaru couldn't be interested in his Kagome. It was just not possible! But it did make some strange sort of sense and definitely explained why the taiyoukai had attacked him so viciously, losing control of his beast. But if that were the case…then he would have even more competition for his precious Kagome's attentions! If it were true then Sesshoumaru would be searching for a way to get closer to her, which meant that he would have to as well. He refused to be shown up by a damn dog!

So now his thoughts focused solely on finding some way to stay close to Kagome. He had to protect his claim. She would be **his** mate and no one else's! But how would he be able to stay in her presence with the stupid mutt of a hanyou always pitching a fit? And if he was right and Sesshoumaru would be there too then it would be even more difficult. He decided that maybe he needed some help with this and went off to find Ginta and Hakaku. They seemed to understand Kagome better than he did sometimes. Maybe they would have an idea.

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Inuyasha was sitting high in the god tree, glaring at anything and everything. He was furious! How dare his fucking brother try to act like everything between them was just fine and dandy and think that he could just show up and join **his** pack? No way! Absolutely not! And then for Miroku and Sango to side with the **enemy!** What in the world were they thinking?!?! What was worse though was that he knew they were right. It really would make their group stronger, which would make it easier for him to keep Kagome safe. And thinking of Kagome, he already knew what she would say when she came back. She would feel the same way as the traitors of a monk and slayer. He already knew he had lost, but did they have to make it so obvious? He was supposed to be the **damn** **alpha** here! They should **listen** to him! But nooooo, they had to undermine his authority in front of his brother of all people. Damn it!

And to top it all off, the big bastard and his herd of little bastards were camping out by the well waiting for Kagome to return. There was something going on. He was sure of it. Why would his brother suddenly want to join up with him? Why had his brother shown up missing the presence of Kagome yesterday and why had he insisted on staying to wait for her to return? Why was the wench suddenly so comfortable with him when he tried to dissolve her with his poison the first time they met?!? She knew how dangerous Sesshoumaru could be! And how did the pups know her? It was obvious when Kagome had returned yesterday with his brother after the fight with Kouga that the pups knew her. One of them had said something about a mark. What was the little runt talking about? Kagome didn't have any demon marks. He would know! Wouldn't he? Hell, he would have marked her as pack himself, except that it would probably put her in more danger rather than protect her. Demons would be able to tell she was marked by a half-breed and they would hunt her down just like they did him. No, he couldn't do that to her, no matter how much he craved a permanent connection with her. It was just too risky.

Inuyasha finally decided on something. He would not let them wait by the well alone. If Kagome came back early then she would be alone with his brother's pack and that idea did not sit well with him. So he was at the clearing in moments, finding a tree close to the well. He knew Sesshoumaru knew he was there but it didn't matter. He was here to wait for Kagome and make sure she was safe, whenever she returned.


	27. Discovering the Obvious

**Chapter 27 – Discovering the Obvious**

His brother had been sitting in a tree glaring at him for hours as he sat next to the well with his back leaned up against the side. He found ignoring him surprisingly easy as he watched Rin and his sons run around the clearing playing something they called tag. Shippo had shown up a while ago and immediately joined in their fun. He had been especially surprised at the game they had played earlier. It was the first one Kagome had taught them while playing in the gardens. He had seen the game from his study window but he had not heard the words. He had been unable to hold back the smile as they sang the little song over and over again. The joy in their voices as they sang the name of the woman they all loved, that he loved, was just too much to deny. Thankfully, however, his back was to his brother so Inuyasha didn't get to see the uncharacteristic smile.

He had decided that they would wait for her by the well. He knew Inuyasha was suspicious already, just by his actions. He was concerned that his brother may overreact if he were to discover their secret while alone with Kagome so he fully intended on being there when she returned. Of course, there was also the fact that he needed to apologize to her for his actions the day before. He hadn't seen the monk or the slayer since this morning. They had returned to the village after their discussion of an alliance. It was fairly promising that they were open to the idea. He figured Kagome wouldn't protest and that Inuyasha's opinion would be overruled. Although, that would probably only serve to increase the rift between them, but sacrifices had to be made. He was sure now that he could not live without feeling her aura and savoring her scent. It would end up killing him if he had to.

Jaken had been complaining for some time about being so close to a human village, as well as grumbling about the very idea of joining packs with the half-breed. Sesshoumaru had eventually sent him away, ordering him to take Ah-Un to find a suitable place to graze. The two-headed dragon could take care of himself but it was the only thing he could think of to get rid of the annoying toad, and for once he didn't feel like knocking him unconscious. But to assure himself that he wasn't going soft he had made the little kappa unload the large flying beast first, even though most of the bags were as big as he is and probably heavier. It had been an entertaining show and served to distract the taiyoukai from his growing ache for his miko. He needed to be sure that she really would forgive him. Despite the comforting words of the kit and his sons, he was still worried.

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Kagura had been flying without direction for quite some time now. After Naraku had absorbed Kanna she had fled under the guise of doing some spying. She hadn't known what to do. What could she do? Kanna was gone, leaving just Kohaku and herself to do Naraku's dirty work. The saimyosho had trailed her for a while before they spread over the land to keep an eye on things. She had landed then and cried, actually cried. She had always held some hope that someone, anyone, would kill her master and set her free. Now she had watched Kanna be pulled into nothingness just as Kanna had watched her be 'born' if you can even call it that. Her hope was quickly floating away on the breeze.

She had asked Sesshoumaru in the past to free her, but he had refused. He said it did not involve him, but now it did! Maybe now that Naraku had made a direct attack on his pack he would be interesting in killing the pathetic half-demon that held her heart in his hands. She finally had a direction to go in. She would head west and once again request the assistance of the powerful demon lord. She knew he would have no trouble killing Naraku. No, Naraku was afraid of Sesshoumaru. She knew that no matter how hard he had attempted to hide it that he feared the Lord Sesshoumaru, and for good reason. He knew he was no match for the taiyoukai. Her hope suddenly returned full force. Sesshoumaru **would** kill Naraku and she would be free to be the wind as she was intended.

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Staring at his elder brother's back wasn't doing anything but making him more confused. He had watched as once again Shippo approached the group by the well with no fear as if they were old friends. He was going over the clues in his mind again and again. Suddenly, he realized he had another question with no answer. How in the hell did Sesshoumaru give him those visions? The first one, okay maybe, but the second? It had been all from Kagome's perspective, all Kagome's memories. How did his brother have access to her memories, her feelings, and her pain? To do so they require a serious connection. He had never heard of transferring memories to another, let alone the receiver then passing them on to a third person. So, somehow Sesshoumaru had formed some connection with Kagome. That did explain how he had sensed it when she went through the well. He had marked her. That had to be what the pups had been talking about, except it sounded like they each had felt the connection end, which would mean they all marked her, and Shippo too! The runt had walked right up to his brother's group like he knew them all. When had this all happened? And why didn't she mention it? What had she been doing with his brother? He knew he was close to figuring it out, but he was not quite there yet. He was angry and confused and hurt, too, that she had lied to him.

Deciding he needed help he raced to the village, forgetting all about his vigil by the well in his rush to find the monk. Maybe he knew. After all, Miroku had kept her secret about the pain she had been suffering all this time. Maybe he was keeping a secret for her now too.

Looking up from his place leaning against the inner wall of the hut Miroku spoke to both Sango and Kaede who were also present. "Inuyasha is coming, and he is coming fast. I think he may have figured it out."

Inuyasha was already at the door. "Figured what out, exactly, monk? And don't you fucking lie to me. Apparently Kagome has been lying to me about more than just one thing. I know you keep her secrets, damn it. You never told me about the pain she was in because of Kikyo having part of her soul!" Inuyasha was fuming but he was trying his best to stay calm. It was possible that they hadn't been clued in either so just screaming probably wouldn't get him anywhere.

"What pain Miroku? Kagome was in pain and you never told me? She never told me? Why?" Sango was near tears. Her sister had been in pain and hid it from her?

"Calm down, Sango, dear. Kagome asked me not to tell and I agreed. I did my best to help her through it. How, though, did you find out Inuyasha? Did she tell you?"

"No, but **how** I found out is why I know **something** is going on. I didn't tell you guys before because I was too disgusted with myself to admit it, but you already know the truth of it anyway. After Sesshoumaru killed Kikyo he sent me another vision. It was full of all the times Kagome was attacked by Kikyo, every time she was in danger because I left her, every horrible thing I have ever said to her, and all the pain. I saw you, monk, trying to teach her to meditate to lessen the pain. I just realized now that Sesshoumaru would have had to have some kind of close bond with Kagome to do that because everything was from her point of view. Some of it was shit only she would know. And his damn pups mentioned something about a mark yesterday and Shippo too. Plus it explains how he knew she had gone through the well. For some reason, at some time, Sesshoumaru, Shippo, and his damn pups all marked Kagome as pack. I thought I felt something odd but I was too worried about figuring out how to apologize to her to realize what it was. Now, tell me what you know."

"Ye are more observant than this old woman had expected," Kaede said with a small smile.

"Yeah, yeah, now talk Monk!"

"Alright, alright. Now you must understand, everything we know is guesses too. She hasn't spoken with any of us about any secrets. I knew immediately that something had changed with Kagome when she returned but when she noticed me looking at her she sent me her begging eyes and I kept my mouth shut. There is definitely demon energy around her that had not been there before. During the first incident at the well, after you were knocked out, I noticed something interesting. You know the pink teardrop on Kazue's face, under her left eye?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"I noticed that all seven pups also have the mark. Then Shippo turned and looked at me and he has it too, but I am sure it had not been there earlier that morning. I had never seen it before. Shippo approached Lord Sesshoumaru and asked if 'he felt it too'. When I went to ask Shippo what he meant, your brother told me not to question him, that just as we kept Kagome's secret about the well, they had a secret too and they would not betray confidences. We spoke to Kaede about it that night while you were still out."

"Yes, the mark present on young Shippo and your brother's sons was given by Kagome. Not only that, but she has also transferred some small amount of her power into each, though I know not how or why. I do suspect, however, that they are now protected from holy powers."

"But when in the hell would the wench have done it? And why? Why would she be with my brother at all? He's tried to kill her."

"We figured that she must have been with Sesshoumaru when we thought she was missing. You know you would have flipped out, so that's probably why she lied about it." Sango shot him a warning glance. "You had better not yell at her about this. We should give her the chance to explain when she is ready."

"Yes, Inuyasha. I am sure she kept this hidden from us because of you. I just realized something. In the vision you had of Kikyo and Naraku, didn't you tell us that Kikyo said that only a pure miko could save them, and that your brother would never find one willing to help him?"

"Yeah." Inuyasha's voice was soft again, still fighting with his conflicted feelings over Kikyo's most recent death.

"Well, perhaps he knew this and sought out Kagome to heal them. She is a pure miko and you know as well as I do that if she can help someone she will, no matter who it is. He obviously found someone to heal them, since they are all here and healthy." Miroku's words landed spot on, as everyone nodded their agreement.

"Okay, fine. But why would the bastard mark Kagome? He hates humans!"

"Perhaps. But if she is indeed responsible for saving the lives of his young, maybe his feelings towards her have changed. Your brother has a strong sense of honor and she did a great thing for him that no one else would have done. Maybe he did it in an attempt at repayment. Maybe that's really why he wants to join us. Since he marked her as pack he would feel the need to protect her and he can't do that if he isn't with her."

"Not only that, Miroku, but the pups seemed pretty attached to her too. If they share a connection as well then they all would feel a strong pull to be near Kagome. I know you don't like the idea, Inuyasha, but if we are correct then you can be sure he will not harm her. She would only be safer with all of them with us."

"Damnit, that girl has some explaining to do when she gets back. If that's what happened, then fine. I'll find a way to fucking deal with it. It was stupid of her to go with him, but she wouldn't have cared if it meant saving seven children. Her heart is just too fuckin' big for her own damn good."

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While they unloaded the car Kagome spoke once again. "Hey, Mama? I have a question and I don't know if you will know or not, but I figured I would ask anyway." Her mother simply nodded for her to continue. "When I was gone, I healed Sesshoumaru's pups. Kikyo had cursed them, along with Naraku, and they were being purified slowly, being turned human. Then they would have died from Naraku's poison miasma. Anyway, I healed them and then I passed out and Sesshoumaru gave me some of his youki to keep me alive until he killed Kikyo." Once again Kagome only got a nod. "It made some kind of connection between us. I was unconscious but I could talk to him in his head while he was searching for her. I shared my memories with him about my travels and my friends, including the vision I got when I first went into the room with the pups. Somehow, he was able to transfer this vision to Inuyasha so he would understand why he was killing Kikyo. Once I had my whole soul and was getting better he removed his youki and the connection ended. I want to know if there is a way to do something like that again. We want to send Inuyasha a vision about the time after his father died so he will understand why he and his mother had to leave. We're hoping that if he understands, since you know he won't listen…"

"You want to help them be brothers again?"

"Yeah, basically. It's harder on each of them than the other knows. Plus it would make things a lot easier."

"Well, dear, first of all, Lord Sesshoumaru did not remove **all** of his youki from you. You held on to a little bit. The connection is still there, it's just weaker. With the addition of the connection made by the mark, you may be able to share memories and thoughts with each other once again."

"Huh, he never mentioned that. I can't even feel it. Shouldn't my miko powers purify it out of me?"

"Apparently your powers do not feel threatened by his youki. It appears to have settled in and become a permanent part of you. I'm surprised Inuyasha didn't notice the familiarity. If you still can't communicate like before after giving it a try, then you could try taking in a bit more of his youki. And you are right, it probably is the only way to make Inuyasha understand. It did seem to work before, didn't it? With the second vision he received?"

Kagome stopped in her tracks to stare at her mother. "How did you know about that? I never said anything…"

"I know, dear. But don't forget, I can check in on you **and** your friends."

"You're sneaky, you know that?"

"Yes, dear. Now, do you want me to wash all of your new things for you?" They had finally finished carrying bag after bag into the house, and every available surface in the living room was covered in their purchases.

"That'd be great, Mama. I'm gonna get all the food and other supplies together and take them out to the well house. Then I can just take a few trips back and forth to bring it all." Kagome then proceeded to sit in the middle of the mess of bags and began sorting, opening packages of band-aids and combining them all into a zipper bag. She continued on, using all the little tricks to save space that she had discovered over her many trips to the feudal era. Zipper bags were the best and she used them for everything. Clean clothes went in the sealed bags to keep them clean and dry, even in a rain storm. School books, too, were sealed away. She learned that after falling into a river once and having to dry out wet books. If you've ever dropped a book in the bathtub then you know just what fun that can be. The ink stayed, but the books were now nearly twice their size. Explaining that to her teachers had not been fun. She ended up having to pay for replacements. Never again!

Once everything was as consolidated as possible and sealed for protection, she grabbed a couple of old sheets. She laid the first one out and piled things in the center before pulling up the corners and tying them to make a nice big bag. She then repeated the task twice more. She was very proud of herself, having consolidated it all into just three giant bags besides her big yellow one. All that would be left were her new clothes. She carried the giant sacks one by one to the well house and set them off to the side. Her backpack came along too, packed with a couple of outfits that she figured could hang on for a few more days. She would get her new stuff when she came back for exam week. Once she was ready she said her good-byes and had almost jumped into the well before her mother called out for her from the house. She turned around and went back finding that she had, in fact, forgotten something important. Her mother stood there holding in her hands the scroll and the sealed box. Thanking her Mama profusely, she gave one final hug, slipped the two items into her back pack, and this time actually made it to the past.

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The pups, kit, and Rin had tired some time ago and were now resting in the shade a short distance away. His brother had left in a hurry for some reason and Jaken had yet to return with Ah-Un. So this left Sesshoumaru pretty much alone when his senses were suddenly assaulted on three fronts at once. He felt the powerful magic rise behind him in the well at the same time as her scent hit him full force and the mark became active once again. She had come back to him so quickly and he was relieved. He stood and looked down at her, reaching out his hand and Kagome took hold of it before he lifted her effortlessly out of the well. She shot a huge smile at him and some of his worry washed away.

"Hi Sesshoumaru! I'm so glad you're here. When did you come back?" She was really happy to see him too, even if she still didn't understand why. Apparently she had somehow become attached to them all as well.

"We arrived this morning. How did you know that this Sesshoumaru had left in the first place?" He raised a perfect silver brow at her as he asked.

"That is a bit of a long story, or at least a part of it. I'll tell you all about it later, but I want to tell everyone together so I don't have to do it over and over again. So, Inuyasha hasn't flipped out? I figured he would be here trying to keep you away from me or fighting with you or something."

"He was here for quite a while, but returned to the village in a hurry. I do not know why. I must warn you, he is upset. This morning I offered an alliance and joining of our packs so that we could all work together in the fight against Naraku. He, obviously, was not pleased."

Kagome smiled. "Obviously. Aren't you a smarty pants. You figured out a way for the boys and Rin to stay with me after all."

"Yes, I agree. It was quite a brilliant idea, though I can assure you it had nothing to do with this Sesshoumaru's pants."

Kagome looked at him for a minute before bursting out laughing. "Nothing to do with your pants! That's great!" She looked up at his face and registered the confusion present. "It's just a saying. 'Smarty pants' is just a silly phrase."

He waited until she had regained control of herself before responding. "You do say the strangest things at times. Why is that?"

Kagome shook her head. "Nope, not yet. So Inuyasha's all worked up about it, then?"

"Yes, definitely. He was even more angered though by the fact that the monk and the slayer approved of the idea and wanted to wait for you before deciding."

"Ah, I see. Yeah, that would certainly piss him off. Come on, let's get those sleepy heads up and head to the village. I have big news to share."

"Kagome?" His tone stopped her in her tracks and she turned back to look at him again. "This Sesshoumaru would like to apologize for yesterday. I should not have tried to stop you from returning to your home. I did not mean it to sound like an order." He looked like he was going to continue but she waved her hand and cut him off.

"It's okay, Sesshoumaru. It's not a big deal. I'm sorry I yelled at you. I kinda overreacted. When I got home I realized, with some help from my mother of course, that you were just worried about me, right?" He nodded. "I guess I'm just so used to fighting with Inuyasha every time I want to go home that I reacted to you like I would have him. I didn't mean it, and I'm glad you came back. Now let's go get this alliance mess settled."

Nodding his agreement Sesshoumaru moved to wake the large group of sleeping children before taking her pack from where it was slung over her shoulder and starting the short walk to the village. They were still a ways off but he could hear the monk, the slayer, and his brother talking. He slowed to listen before stopping completely. He then whispered to her what he had heard. She needed to be ready when they arrived. They were standing just on the other side of the curtain when they all heard Inuyasha speak.

"Damnit, that girl has some explaining to do when she gets back. If that's what happened, then fine. I'll find a way to fucking deal with it. It was stupid of her to go with him, but she wouldn't have cared if it meant saving seven children. Her heart is just too fuckin' big for her own damn good."

Kagome took in a deep breath before pushing through the curtain. "I know, Inuyasha. I knew you would be upset and I'm sorry I had to lie to you all." All but Kaede looked up at her, shocked. They had managed to miss not only her presence but the presence of eight inu and one kitsune demon as well, all because they were too wrapped up in their conversation. "There's too many of us to all come in here, so could you guys come outside? I'll explain everything, and then tell you my big news as well."

Inuyasha grumbled but rose and brushed past her out the doorway. Miroku helped Kaede to rise, and then all followed Kagome outside, where they then sat around the outdoor fire pit ready to hear her tale.


	28. Guessing Game & A Connection Renewed

**Chapter 28 – Guessing Game and a Connection Renewed**

It had been a long, complicated story as Kagome filled her friends in on what had really happened to her while she was gone. Sesshoumaru added in some insight and even the pups popped in when it came to their actions. Shippo covered his disappearance and discovery, as well as bragging about his new mark. Inuyasha had to grit his teeth and clench his fists at times, but he kept his mouth shut and listened. He owed Kagome that much at the very least. The whole time, Miroku had been nodding his head as their guesses were confirmed. Sango listened, enraptured by her sister's secret adventure and Kaede still held that same smile on her face. When the story was finished Kagome ended with another apology for worrying them so much. Miroku and Sango of course forgave her immediately. They knew why she couldn't tell them. The reason why was sitting there beside them, barely holding in his growl.

"Kagome…(sigh). Kagome, I guess I understand why you lied. But damn it! That was stupid! He could have been lying to you! He could have killed you! And no one would have ever known where you disappeared to!"

It was Sesshoumaru's turn now to hold in his growl, but it didn't really matter, as the seven other growls said everything for him. To say that their father could have hurt or killed Kagome was too much for them to handle silently. Inuyasha shot a glare at his brother's pups.

"Inuyasha! Stop it! Your brother didn't hurt me! He asked, **ASKED**, for my help. I **agreed** to go with him. And you're gonna have to get over your whole attitude problem, because Sesshoumaru is now my friend. And you are just going to have to deal with it!"

The smirk that escaped, unrestrained, at her words caused Sango to gasp, Miroku to grin, and Inuyasha to growl again. "Yes, little brother. The miko, Kagome, is now this Sesshoumaru's **friend**." Kagome failed to detect the difference in tone and completely missed the glint in his eyes but Inuyasha on the other hand caught it all just as he was meant to. Another growl rippled through him.

"Inuyasha! Don't make me say it! And I think that an alliance is a wonderful idea. Some things have changed and we just might need the extra help." They all looked at her oddly for a moment. What else had changed that hadn't already been said? Kagome responded by opening her bag and pulling out an ancient looking scroll which she handed to Miroku. "Miroku, would you do the honors for me? My mother gave me this scroll when I went home day before yesterday. It seems that things aren't as random as they seem."

Miroku accepted the scroll and unrolled it. Scanning through his eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Kagome? Is this real?"

"Yeah, Miroku, it is. And it's right too, every word. Could you read it for me bit by bit and I can fill in the blanks as you go?"

He simply nodded again before clearing his throat and starting to read aloud: _"_Hundreds of years and many generations will pass before one is born who will redeem the trapped soul of the great priestess, Midoriko. She will come to right the wrongs of the past. She will be the savior of the future." He glanced at Kagome who motioned for him to go on. "The priestess will be born of two era's, and will live for a time in two presents."

"This bit here was a big surprise for me. Apparently, my father came to my family through the well. Sesshoumaru, I hadn't told you and the kids yet but I'm ready to tell you now."

"Kagome! Don't tell him! You have no fucking idea what he could do! You can't trust him!"

"Inuyasha…I do trust him. That is why I am **going** to tell him. It's not your well, not your secret, not your decision!" She smiled at Sesshoumaru and began again. This time the hanyou grudgingly kept his mouth shut. "The well takes me to my home. I live right here, on this shrine, five hundred years in the future." She paused for a moment to let her words sink in. "Surprised?"

The thought that she trusted him enough to share her secret made his heart flutter a bit but it nearly stopped completely when he heard her next words. Sesshoumaru was shocked. He knew that the well was magic, but the future? And five hundred years? That was something he had never expected. He understood, now, why she had kept it a secret. If he hadn't known for sure by her scent that she was telling the truth, and that her friends seemed unfazed by the whole thing, he might not have believed it at all. But it did certainly explain a few things. This was just one more new and different thing about her out of many, and so he took it in stride. His pups had let out their own little noises of surprise, looking to Shippo who nodded. When their whispers had stopped he spoke. "It does make sense, I suppose. It explains your strange dress and speech. It explains why you are so different from every human female this Sesshoumaru has ever seen." Kagome missed the smoldering look in his eyes but Sango saw it and it confused her for a moment. She was distracted, though, from her contemplation by Kagome who was speaking once more.

"So, I couldn't figure out how I could be born of two eras but apparently my father was from this era to begin with. Add to that the fact that I thought he was dead for years, I found out that he isn't dead at all, but here, in the feudal era. Mama said that he had to return to guard something I would need and it couldn't be kept there. So she lied to us and told us he died. So not only is my dad not dead, but now I get to go looking for him!"

"But Kagome, why didn't they tell you this when you first came through the well?" Sango was confused, and could feel the residual feelings Kagome held on the subject just by looking at her. She didn't need a mark. She knew her sister.

"You'll see. Apparently things had to happen in a certain order or bad stuff would happen. A kind of 'what ever doesn't kill you makes you stronger' kind of thing I guess. And so I am born of two eras. And you guys know all too well how I have been living in two different presents for nearly two years. Go ahead Miroku."

"She will return against her will, bringing with her the cursed Jewel of Four Souls."

It was Inuyasha who interrupted this time. "Mistress Centipede dragged you down the well. So it was supposed to happen?"

"That's not all. Just you wait. It gets better." She nodded to the monk again.

"To undo the damage of one priestess, she will first undo the mistake of another. She will find another to guide her in the right direction."

"That, in order, is to undo the damage caused by Midoriko when she created the jewel, undo the mistake of Kikyo by pinning Inuyasha to the god tree, and finally Kaede, who pointed us in the right direction. Remember, Inuyasha? She told us we would have to travel together. And she has always helped to guide us, me especially."

"You knew about this then you old hag?" Inuyasha growled at the elder miko.

"Yes, Inuyasha, child, I did. I have known of the prophecy for some time, and I recognized immediately who our Kagome was. But yet I too could say nothing until it was time. Go on please, Miroku."

"To release the great Midoriko, the jewel will be forcibly removed from the body of the prophesized and be shattered, the shards spread across the land. This will begin the journey of the new great priestess."

"You have got to be kidding me!" Inuyasha yelled.

Kagome giggled. "That is exactly what I said. I know, if only we had known. Go on. The next part is where it gets good. See if you guys can tell me who is who." They all looked at her funny until Miroku started again.

"She will find along the way many things. She will discover first the spirit of Aramitama, the embodiment of courage. That one has to be Inuyasha, correct?" Kagome nodded and Miroku continued. "Kushimitama will follow, the embodiment of knowledge guiding her path." He paused again.

"We met the runt next, but apparently he doesn't count, huh? So Miroku is knowledge. I don't know if I buy that one." Inuyasha smirked.

"I am deeply hurt, Inuyasha, deeply, deeply hurt." Miroku grinned as well. At least he had ended up right where he was supposed to be. Maybe, then, things would turn out okay. "Nagimitama will join her, the embodiment of friendship finding a special place, yet unused in the priestess's heart." Miroku smiled. He knew who that was.

Everyone looked around for a moment before Shippo spoke up. "Friendship is Sango! You call her your sister and you never had a sister before! Right?"

"You're right, Shippo. Now this last one, Mama said I'm not supposed to know yet, but I will figure it out eventually." Miroku looked over the next line before a lecherous smirk crawled onto his face. "Don't even start, Miroku! Just read!"

"Alright, alright, Lady Kagome. Forgive me. The final spirit, Sakimitama, will be known and yet unknown. When the embodiment of love accepts its place, the next step can occur."

Sesshoumaru had frozen in place, had even stopped breathing when he heard the monk's words. She was destined to be loved by someone. But who? What in the hell does that mean anyway? Known but unknown? Accepts its place? He was snapped out of his trance by a small chuckle. Everyone was looking around trying to figure out where the sound had come from before realizing that it had been Kaede.

"What, pray tell, is so funny, Kaede?" Kagome asked. "I have no idea what it means and Mama and Gramps won't tell me. Do **you** know who it is?"

"Ye know very well, child, that even if I did know who was destined to be your love, I could not tell ye. Just ignore this old woman. I have waited for a very long time for this moment is all."

Miroku looked at her skeptically before continuing. "When the priestess with the power over time becomes whole once more, which is referring to your soul, correct?" Kagome nodded.

"When Kikyo died and my soul was made whole that is what allowed the next stuff to happen." She glanced at Inuyasha for a moment, seeing the depressed look that swept into his eyes for a moment before he hid it away.

"She will experience three things. The true journey cannot begin until: The seven treasures give a love before unknown." Miroku stopped there and smiled again.

Kagome returned the smile. "This is where the interesting part comes in. You guys," she motioned to the pups, "you are the first requirement." She started to roll up her left sleeve, showing off her marks. "There are seven of you and each one is a treasure, and when you all marked me you gave me the love you…" She stopped there, not wanting to say the wrong thing.

Sesshoumaru, on the other hand, knew. "They gave the love of a mother, which had before been unknown because they have not had one."

Kagome nodded softly, looking over to the pups who were all absolutely beaming. They were meant to mark her. That had to mean she was meant to be theirs, right? Akihiro held the biggest smile of all. He had spotted his father's confusion a few moments earlier. He had yet to tell his father about the auras. She was definitely meant to be their mother because she was destined to be with their father who was her Sakimitama and her soul-mate. He couldn't wait to tell everyone!

Miroku started again. "A great power gives the gift of the night sky."

"Anyone wanna risk a guess?" Kagome smiled again.

It was Isamu who managed to get the words out first. "Father! It's you father! You're a great power! Show them the mark, Kagome. Show them the one father gave you!"

Kagome smiled wider and unbuttoned the top three buttons, opening her shirt to reveal the mark on her chest.

"The night sky. How…startlingly accurate."

"I know, Miroku. And it only gets worse. It is so weird to know that everything you've been doing all this time had been predicted and written down so long ago. Gramps said the thing was written a thousand years ago in my time, so five hundred years ago here. It is just weird!" Kagome looked over at Shippo who looked a bit sad. "Shippo, honey, don't worry. They didn't forget about you." The kit's ears perked and he looked expectantly at the monk who took the hint.

"And the blue flame of Seven Treasures burns bright." Shippo looked confused for a moment.

"Honey, do you know what your name means?" Shippo shook his head no. "Your name means seven treasures." She rolled up her sleeve. "Your blue flame burns bright, right here, forever." The little kit's smile nearly cracked his face before he leapt into her arms. Just hearing her say forever made his little heart thump with joy. She would be his Mama forever. She just said so!

"Wow! That's your mark, Shippo? It's beautiful!" Sango was admiring the bright blue-green flames. It really did look as if foxfire was dancing around the red fox print. Shippo nodded his head proudly before snuggling into his miko Mama again.

"Go on, Miroku. It's almost done."

Nodding, he continued. "Once these events have occurred, the priestess may learn of her fate and mission. So that is why they couldn't tell you."

"Yep. I had to become marked and bonded by nine very specific demons before they could tell me. Mama knew the second she saw me that it was time."

"She will be given the Arrow of Destiny to always point her in the right direction. She must then follow where it will lead her, to find that which will form the bridge of powers, initiating the transformation necessary to defeat the great evil to redeem the great priestess." Miroku rolled the scroll back up again before passing it to Kagome. "So, did she give you this arrow? And do you know what it means by bridge of powers to initiate the transformation?"

"Yes, she gave me the arrow, and no, I don't know. I don't get to know what I am looking for until I find it. I know, right? Too many secrets. And I have no idea what kind of transformation it means either. But at least we know that we are meant to be the ones fighting against Naraku and fixing the jewel. That's something."

Everyone nodded.

Kaede cleared her throat, causing everyone to look at her. "Yes, ye are all meant to be together, even Lord Sesshoumaru, Rin, and the young lords. Trust me when I say, Rin, that ye are just as important to Kagome's quest as everyone else, even if ye were not mentioned in this scroll." Everyone looked at Rin who did look a little down. She had been the only one not included at all. As Kaede's words sunk in her smile started to return. "Kagome will need you all by her side. You are the fuel for her fires. You all form her heart. Her love for you all is the source for her great power. Inuyasha, you must allow the joining of the packs as the pups must remain with her." _'And so must Sesshoumaru,' _she thought. _'After all, Kagome will be needing her Sakimitama.' _Choosing to keep those particular thoughts to herself she continued on. "She was meant to save them and bond with them, just as every other step was meant to happen as well."

"Kaede, what do you mean by **this** scroll? Is there another one I don't know about yet?"

"There is much you still do not know, child. And Rin is just as important a part as everyone else." Looking at Rin she added, "I promise ye, young one. Your path has already been well established, just as Shippo's was the second he was born and named." Kaede looked them all over on by one. "Ye all shall see soon enough."

Kagome nodded at this. "Of course Rin is just as important. I couldn't make it without her too!" She smiled at the little girl who joined Shippo in her lap. "So now things are even more complicated than just looking for the shards and Naraku. I'm sorry, guys, really I am. I know I cause more trouble than I'm worth."

Surprisingly, it was Inuyasha who cut her off. "Don't be sorry Kagome. If anything this is good news. This means that we are meant to kill that bastard. Whatever we have to do before we can do that is fine with me, especially if it's going to make you stronger. I don't want anything happening to you during the final battle. Now, come on wench! Let's see this damn arrow!"

Kagome couldn't help but laugh. "Thanks, Inuyasha. I'm really glad you're not mad and that I have your support. I couldn't do it without you. I know that without the prophecy to tell me. I will always need you. You're not just my embodiment of courage, you **are** my courage. You give me the strength to fight. Always have." Kagome watched as Inuyasha blushed and issued a 'Keh' before she pulled the long, thin, sealed box out of her bag.

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He wasn't here! She had finally arrived at the palace she knew was the home of the demon lord and her only chance for salvation. But he wasn't here! Where could he have gone? Perhaps he had already gone after Naraku. The bastard had killed all seven of his sons. Maybe he was on his way right now. But he didn't know where Naraku was hiding! She had to find him and help him. She would guide him right to the castle gates and Naraku's death.

She took flight once again, trying to figure out where Lord Sesshoumaru would have started looking. Maybe he hadn't gotten too far. She would search the whole of the west first and if she failed to find him then she would approach that half-breed brother of his. Maybe he would know.

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Miroku and Kaede looked on with reverence while those with demonic heritage felt their skin crawl a bit. There was a lot of power in that box, leaking out even with all the sutras that kept it closed. "Mama said I should wait to open this until I was here with you guys. I don't really know how to do it though." She looked up to the monk and the elder miko. "Do I just pull off the sutras?" Kagome didn't have a chance to get an answer. She watched in awe as the sutras peeled themselves off one by one before dissolving into the air like glitter or fairy dust spread on a breeze. When they had finished she very carefully lifted the lid to reveal the most beautiful arrow she had ever seen. The shaft was made of a dark red wood that looked as if it had just had been polished moments ago. The tip gleamed in the sunlight and appeared to be solid silver, also highly polished. The feathers at the end were black, as black as her own hair, and perfectly formed. Everything about the arrow was perfect. There was a small scroll wrapped around the shaft which Kagome unrolled as she lifted the arrow. Reading over it, she found it to be instructions for use of the arrow. One again she handed the scroll to Miroku who looked at it and then back at her in confusion.

"What are you waiting for, Miroku? Read the scroll!" Sango sounded rather impatient.

"I can't my dear Sango. It's blank."

Kagome's eyes were ripped from the arrow to look at the monk as if he had two heads, maybe even three. "What do you mean, blank? I just read it!" Miroku handed it back to her and she looked at it again. "It's definitely not blank!" She handed it to Sango, who, though she couldn't read, figured she could at least solve the blank or not issue.

"Kagome, Miroku's right. There is nothing written here." Once again it was handed back to Kagome. She looked utterly confused and Sesshoumaru could feel it. He held out his hand for the scroll and looked at it. He could see the words just fine. Before reading it he passed it to Shippo, who opened it. He shook his head in the negative and passed it on to Isamu, who passed it to Yuudai, and so on until it came through Inuyasha and to Kaede. It was blank to all of them. Kagome looked at him as he took the scroll back from the elder miko.

"While this Sesshoumaru knows not why, I too can see the writing."

He heard a whisper across his mind, _'Maybe it's because of the youki? Mama said we might still have the connection.'_ Her voice was so low he strained in his own mind to catch her words.

He looked at her then before deciding to see if she could hear him. He concentrated on her before thinking, _'Kagome, how is it that I can hear you again?'_

She looked surprised when her eyes lifted to him. "Mama was right," she whispered.

Inuyasha had had just about enough of the odd silence and the looks. "What was your Mama right about, wench? And what's with the eyes?"

"Huh?" Kagome asked intelligently. Inuyasha simply glared at her. Finally she realized what he had asked, with a little help from the soft sexy voice in her mind. "Nothing important. I'm just surprised that Sesshoumaru can see the words but no one else can. It can't be because of the marks, or you guys should see it too." She nodded at the pups. She didn't want to tell anyone that she could talk in her mind to Sesshoumaru or that he could talk back any more than she wanted to tell about Kazue. Maybe less. Their link could come in handy during battles or other tough situations

"Perhaps it is the bit of youki ye still carry?" Both Kagome and Sesshoumaru looked at Kaede in shock. "What? It is possible that it created a further connection. You did mention that while you were unconscious you had shared your thoughts and memories, which is what allowed Lord Sesshoumaru to send the visions to Inuyasha."

"I suppose it's possible," Kagome responded while nodding. Do not confirm or deny was all that would go through her head. "Go ahead and read it then, Sesshoumaru."

Looking over at her with an odd look in his eyes for a moment he then turned back to the scroll. "It says: Only she who the prophecy foretold may wield the arrow of destiny. It shall guide no other. She must prick her finger on the tip, allowing her blood to coat the arrow head before she may use the arrow to lead her. Once she has done so, she must move to set the arrow on the ground. It will then direct the new great priestess to her destination. New blood must be given at each use to protect that which she will seek as well as any who may stand guard."

"So you have to cut yourself every time? I suppose it is a good idea though so no one else can use it if they managed to steal it from you." Sango was still entranced by the arrow. She had never seen such a perfect arrow before either. "It's absolutely beautiful!"

"And powerful as well," Miroku added. Kagome wrapped the scroll back around the shaft and lowered the arrow back to its place in the box. As soon as it touched the velvet again all sensations of the power it was giving off ended, as if its power had died or disappeared. "And apparently also good at hiding its presence."

Kagome nodded at him as she placed the box back in her bag. "There's just one last thing. Sango, you wanted to know how I knew Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were getting ready to fight with Kouga from the other side of the well? My father, when he left, gave my mother the coolest thing. It's like a crystal ball, or even like Kanna's mirror, now that I think of it. She let me try it. All I had to do was focus on who I wanted to see and it showed me what they were doing on this side of the well right at that moment. And I saw a red-eyed Sesshoumaru giving a death glare to Kouga's back while he yelled at Inuyasha, who looked ready to kill him too. That's why I came back right then." Then silently she added, 'And that's how I knew you and the boys left after we fought.'

Sesshoumaru was sucked into his thoughts for a moment, remembering the odd sensation he had experienced on his return to the palace when he had been sure he had heard her voice and felt her caress. Was it possible that it really had happened? Did she know that he had sensed her? She had seemed surprised when she realized could still communicate silently so maybe she didn't. He would have to remember to ask her later.

"That's interesting. So your mother can use it to check on your father?" Sango asked.

"Yeah, and she uses it to check on me. That's how she knew I wasn't in trouble and that things were finally happening."

"I see. But do tell, Lady Kagome, who was it that you were trying to see in the crystal? You told us you saw Lord Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, and Kouga, but surely you had not thought on all three?" The hentai smirk in the monk's eyes gave away his thoughts to everyone. Kagome had chosen to look in on one of the three males, but which one had her attention?

Kagome blushed before looking at Sango who smacked the wayward monk upside the head. "Mind your own business, Monk!" She had barely finished her sentence before she hit him again, this time much harder and with her fist. His hand had found its favorite place on her ass. Really he couldn't help it. She just looked so damn sexy when she was mad! He fell backwards and lay there motionless watching the pretty little birdies circle his head. That one was sure to leave a mark but it was worth it. It was always worth it.

"Soooo, then is anyone hungry? Wow, look at the time! It must already be past dinner time. It's already getting dark! Funny how time flies, huh?" Kagome rambled on as she tried to avoid the gaze of both Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. Of course it was a bit more difficult to ignore Sesshoumaru since he happened to be able to talk inside her head. Yeah, he held a bit of an advantage on the hanyou there. Still, she refused to answer either and instead set about starting up the fire to make dinner for everyone.

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Somewhere to the north in a very secret and hidden location, a man with short midnight black hair and ocean blue eyes smiled a very familiar smile. The box had been opened and the arrow had been held by its intended owner. He had been waiting for nearly ten years, having left just after the birth of his son. Now, things had been set in motion. She would be coming and he would finally see her again. It had been so long that he had begun to fear that something had happened to her, that she would be unable to fulfill her destiny. The relief he felt encompassed his entire form. She was still alive. She had met the requirements. And now she knew his secret. He only hoped that someday she could forgive him for leaving her and that she had forgiven her mother for keeping the prophecy from her. He wondered what she looked like, what his son looked like. He would be almost ten years old. He had missed so much. But hopefully he would be able to make it up to all of them. Now he just had to wait. By now he was good at waiting.


	29. Gifts From tFuture, Grudge From tPast

**Chapter 29 – Gifts from the Future, Grudge from the Past**

It was definitely an interesting night. All through dinner the brothers stared at her as if challenging her to name one or the other. They both knew it couldn't be Kouga so it had to be one of them. But which one? Eventually Inuyasha gave up and Sesshoumaru decided to worry about it later. She had, after all, looked in on him after she left the last time so chances were good she had been checking in on him before as well. They had decided to camp a bit away from the villagers who were wary of the large demon presence at the edge of their little village. They had gotten used to Inuyasha, Shippo, and Kirara, but Lord Sesshoumaru and his entourage were just too much for their comfort and peace of mind.

The now much larger group set up a couple of clearings away from the well, just in case of spies. Kagome definitely did not want Naraku to find out about the well. That could end in disaster. Sesshoumaru and the pups had retrieved their belongings from the clearing by the well, bringing them to their new location. They made a fire in the center of the clearing and while Sango and Miroku stayed near the flames for warmth Kagome had no need. She lay out her sleeping bag fully open and then lay down in the middle on her side with Rin and Shippo both in her arms. Or rather, Rin in her arms and Shippo in Rin's with Kagome's hand resting on him. Kagome pulled out a thin extra blanket to cover them. The pups then all shifted forms and curled around the trio, keeping them warm and safe, as well as keeping the boys very happy. Kazue slept behind her head on the pillow. Kirara was asleep beside Sango as usual, and Inuyasha took up his usual position in a tree above where Kagome slept, glaring down at the now nine demons all touching her, marring her perfect scent. Sesshoumaru sat at the base of the same tree very close to where the large group was laid out. He wished more than anything that he could curl up behind Kagome, holding her close to him with his nose buried in her midnight locks as he had before, but it was not yet to be. So he settled for being close enough to be wrapped completely in her scent and aura. Sleep found most everyone very quickly, as they had had a very exciting day. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha, however, stayed awake watching over those who slept peacefully.

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How could he do this to his most loyal servant? What was the matter with his Lord? He had been acting differently ever since his pups had been cursed. It had to be that miko wench. She had to have done something to him. Why else would his Lord have marked her as he had? Why else would he choose to merge packs with his most hated and disgraceful half-brother?

And the young Lords as well. She had done something to them for certain. They now bore the mark of a human miko! His Lord should have been furious for her marring their perfect demon lineage but instead he rewarded her with gifts! The young Lords seemed to hold a strange obsession with the miko now. He had caught them several times talking of her in whispers as if they were planning something.

Jaken didn't know what to do! He was positive the disgusting human wench had somehow put a spell on his lord. It was the only explanation! But how was he going to prove it? Just the mention of his confusion at their current situation had caused him to be sent away with Ah Un. At least he wasn't being forced to watch over the human child. The two-headed dragon, though, had insisted on going quite a distance away from their camp to graze, much further than he would have preferred. If the miko were to return while he was gone, who knows what else she might do to his Great Lord Sesshoumaru?

He knew he had to find a way to convince his Lord that he was not thinking properly, that something odd was going on. He would have to watch things closely. That is, he would have to watch things closely if this dumb beast ever decided he had eaten his full and they could return. Until then all he could do was worry. Worry and whine in the way he always did.

Ah Un wished he could have gone alone but he had understood his Lord's orders. Jaken had been sent with him not to help him search for food but to allow the taiyoukai a moment's peace without his constant muttering and complaining. He had purposely chosen a field as far away as he could manage and was taking his sweet time. The longer he was gone the happier his lord would be. He understood and he didn't see how the toad was quite so stupid as to not. It was so obvious! He had seen many times how his Lord would look at the miko when he thought no one was looking. Being a beast of burden, others generally tended to forget he was present at all, so he had the privilege of witnessing many things no other had while he carried Rin. Rin, now there was a sweet little girl. She often brought him special treats and always thanked him for carrying her. And this woman his lord had eyes for, this Kagome, reminded him greatly of little Rin in so many ways. Yes, he was sure that things were going to be changing greatly, and he didn't mind a bit. He was looking forward to it. Now if only he could get Jaken to shut up!

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It had been several hours since the last fell into slumber when Inuyasha dropped down from the tree, landing at his brother's side. Sesshoumaru had been running the prophecy through his mind over and over, especially the Sakimitama part. He was still bothered by the possibility that she was destined for someone else. He had just been wondering if he should attempt to talk to the old miko when his brother appeared. "We need to talk," was all he said at first. Sesshoumaru merely glanced at him and nodded. "There is more going on here than you all said today, isn't there?"

The Taiyoukai hid his surprise. He had never expected his brother to be so observant. But then he had also never expected him to figure everything out so quickly either. "I do not know what you speak of."

"Yeah, right. I know that there is more to this. You marked her! A human miko! There is definitely something more." His tone dared his brother to lie to him.

Sesshoumaru turned and stared into eyes just as golden as his own. "This Sesshoumaru marked her as pack as a form of protection, which was the same reason why I gave her Kazue. I had not decided to travel with your group at the time and it was a way to guarantee that most demons would not attack her. My mark upon her is like a suit of armor. Not many would be stupid enough to attack a member of the pack of the Lord of the Western Lands. I owe the miko the equivalent of seven life debts. Do you understand the concept, hanyou?"

Inuyasha glared at his older brother. He knew he was lying. He just couldn't tell what about. "I understand perfectly. But I also understand that pack doesn't mean very much to you." Sesshoumaru growled low, but Inuyasha continued. "Did you think I could forget that you threw me and my mother, **your pack**, out of **our** **home? **Well, guess what?!? **I didn't!!!"**

"Keep your voice down, Inuyasha. I know that you still hold a grudge, just as I know that you will accept no explanation from me. I cannot force you to understand. But know this, **brother**, the miko is pack, officially and permanently. I did not have much difficulty in deciding to do so, as I had already considered her pack, just as I did the slayer, monk, fire cat, and kit. They are all my pack because they are your pack. And whether you believe so or not, you **have** always been and **will** always be a part of this Sesshoumaru's pack."

"You're a fucking liar," Inuyasha growled.

"This Sesshoumaru had no need to lie. But since you refuse to believe me at this time, perhaps you should just accept the fact that our packs are now joined. We are now **one** pack. You know what that means, don't you, little brother?" There was a challenge in his voice now, and Inuyasha recognized it immediately.

"I know exactly what that means, **big brother**. Shall we solve this now?" Inuyasha was ready for a fight that instant.

"No, we shall not. We shall solve this the right way, with the pack as witnesses, during daylight. The miko will need to be informed first and the rules will be laid out and followed. You know as well as I that both of us must remain, not only because of the scroll, but because the miko would never forgive the one who survives if the other does not. We **will** do this the **proper** way. Do you understand?"

"Bring it on," was all Inuyasha said before he leapt back into his tree. He would try to get a little rest. He had a big fight ahead of him and he didn't want to lose.

Sesshoumaru merely smirked as his brother disappeared into the branches above him. Inuyasha was sure to give him quite a fight but he was certain he would win. And then things would be falling in to place nicely. Once this was settled, even if his brother did entertain ideas of mating the miko he would not be able to do so. Not unless the demon Lord first made it known that he did not have any interest in a claim himself, which was definitely **not** going to happen. Then the hanyou wouldn't be able to stand in the way of him courting her. Only the wolf would be a possible challenger and he could deal with the wolf. No, once this was over and done with he could start finding a way to ask her for permission to court her officially. He planned on doing this the traditional way, step by step.

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There was an odd tension in the camp that morning. It was like there was something in the air, something heavy and oppressing. It was making Kagome incredibly uncomfortable and everyone could sense it. Breakfast was silent as if everyone was afraid to speak just in case their words would let loose whatever was waiting. The silence had a kind of power, so that even when Sango slapped Miroku for once again grabbing her ass there was no accompanying yell of 'Hentai!' as was the normal pattern. Kagome cleaned up the area after breakfast, the children all helping without being asked. They followed her to the stream to wash the dishes. When they arrived Kagome turned and looked at each of them before deciding on Yoshikazu.

"Yoshi, do you know what is going on?" she asked him softly, gently, but there was still an authority to her voice, a kind of 'tell me now' demand.

The eldest and heir to the western lands looked at the woman he wished was his mother for a moment before looking away and muttering, "I don't know."

"Yoshi, I know you have to know something. Look at me." She knelt down in front of him and held his chin, forcing him to look into her eyes.

"I…I can't say, Kagome. Father will tell you soon, but until then, I'm not even sure. I have an idea, but it's just a guess. I don't want to worry you with something if I'm wrong. I don't want to tell you the wrong thing." He looked down as she released his chin, afraid to see a look of disappointment on her face.

"So you don't know for sure?"

"No," he whispered. He was surprised when she reached forward and pulled him into a hug.

"It's okay. I'm not mad at you. I just want to know what's going on. I have this bad feeling, like something is going to happen. Don't worry about it, though. I'll just go ask your father." Yoshi hugged the miko back tightly, enjoying the first real hug of his life not counting the quick good-bye she had given them all. Sure, Rin had hugged them, but their father was not a hugger, and the servants and nurses didn't dare. He slowly, reluctantly pulled away so she could get up. Once she was standing she put a hand on his head, causing him to look up towards her face. "Thanks, Yoshi. Really."

They finished washing the dishes then, the curse of silence broken. They chatted and laughed during their walk back but silence reigned supreme as they watched Kagome walk with purpose to stand directly in front of Sesshoumaru.

She had to look up to see his face, to watch his eyes. Once she had eye contact, rather than speak aloud, she spoke to him through their connection. 'Sesshoumaru, I want you to tell me what is going on. I know something is wrong. I can feel it.'

Sesshoumaru gazed down at the miko who looked as if she was attempting to stare him into submission. 'It is not yet time, Kagome. You will be told soon. Besides, if I told you like this they would all become suspicious. You did not want them to know about this, did you?'

She suddenly realized that yes; she did want to keep this a secret. Glancing around, Kagome knew that she had succeeded in making them all suspicious. Everyone, including Jaken and both Ah and Un who had returned before dawn, was staring at them, curious as to why they had been just standing in front of each other and not speaking. Well, Ah Un was curious. Jaken was suspicious. Deciding to distract at least one person she turned to Inuyasha. "Hey, Inuyasha? I forgot yesterday, with all the talking and all, but I wanted to ask you if you would go through the well and grab the stuff I left there. I bought extra supplies and some surprises too, and its all in three big bags, well, sheets, but whatever. Could ya do that for me? They're kinda heavy."

"Keh, sure, whatever. As long as there's ramen. Figures a weak human like you would…" He stopped halfway through his thought, turning to look at her. "Sorry, Kagome, I didn't mean…"

"It's okay Inuyasha, I know. Habit. I appreciate you stopping yourself. It shows me that you really are sorry and that you really do care about my feelings. And yes, there is a huge amount of ramen. Thanks. Just bring them here, alright?"

With a swift nod the hanyou then moved to where Miroku was sitting and pretending to meditate. He gave the monk a kick to get his attention and once he had it he said "Keep an eye on Kagome for me, will ya monk? I don't trust leaving him alone with her."

"Inuyasha!" His ears flattened to his head at her tone which practically screamed his most feared three letter word.

"Alright, alright. I'm goin' already." They all watched as he stomped away.

Once he was sure his brother was out of hearing range Sesshoumaru turned to Kagome. "You did not mention that the hanyou can also use the well." He didn't have to continue. His lifted eyebrow said everything else.

"Didn't think it mattered, really. He's the only one it works for besides me. Kaede thinks it has something to do with the necklace. Something about the spell forming a connection between us."

His lifted brow did not lower at her words. "Perhaps this Sesshoumaru should try. We do share a connection as well." Silently he continued, 'If we can share our thoughts then surely we are more connected than the subjugation beads would bond the hanyou to you.'

"I don't know, Sesshoumaru. You could try, but it's never worked for anyone but Inuyasha. Why would you want to go to my time anyway? Trust me, you would not enjoy it. Inuyasha says he can barely stand it and he has weaker senses than you do. The air is polluted and smells bad, it's loud and crowded. He is always complaining about it. It would be worse for you."

"Perhaps, but this Sesshoumaru can endure far more than the hanyou can." He had just finished speaking when Inuyasha dropped from the trees with a bag slung over his shoulder.

"You weren't kidding, Kagome. What'd you do? Buy the whole store? I can only bring one at a time because only one will fit!"

"I bought extra supplies. I forgot to tell you all but I'm going to stay here for a week and study and then I'm going back for a week to take all my final exams. Then school is over for summer break. I can stay a lot longer now between trips home. And when it is time for school to start again, Mama is going to sign me up for classes at home so I won't have to come back for tests every week or two. It's this cool thing they call correspondence courses. They send me the books and lessons and I can take the tests on the computer at home whenever I want." She noticed everyone looking at her oddly. "It's the computer thing, right?" She watched the collective nod. "Ok, lets see, it's a very advanced way of sharing information instantly with others from anywhere as long as they have a computer with the internet too. The internet is like a big web that connects everything and where tons of information is available. It's really cool. I don't really know how to explain it any better though."

"So after a week here to study and then a week at your home for those 'test' thingies, then you won't have to go back for a while?" Inuyasha decided to cut through all the extra crap to get right down to the important stuff. Kagome nodded. "It's about fuckin' time! I always thought you were wasting your damn time!"

"Just go get the other bags, Inuyasha, please?" With a 'keh' and some grumbling under his breath he took off again.

"As I was saying, this Sesshoumaru would like to see your time and your home. I would like to meet your family, as they are now pack as well." If it was at all possible for him to make it through then it was his duty to ask the permission of her family, although he could wait and ask her father when they eventually found him. But then she hadn't seen him for years so it would probably be best to ask her mother or her grandfather. Hopefully they wouldn't be against a demon courting her. Most human families from his time, if not all, would forbid it, but her family is probably just as different as she is when it comes to human/demon relations. Hopefully.

"I really doubt it's gonna work but your welcome to try. It's not like your going to get hurt when you hit the bottom or anything. I can tell you about it though and about my family." The way he looked at her said 'It's not the same thing and you know it.' He was obviously determined to make it through the well. To tell the truth, the idea of Sesshoumaru visiting with her didn't seem as bad as it would have a few weeks ago. She trusted him now and she was sure he would behave. No killing or attacking things, you know, the basics of being a good houseguest, at least at Kagome's house. No one spoke as Inuyasha returned with the second bag and leapt away again.

Kagome decided she was done with the conversation so she went to the bags and knelt down, untying the corners of one of the sheet bundles. Opening it up she found some of what she was looking for. "Here, Miroku. I got some more books for you." She held them up.

"Thank you very much Lady Kagome. I do enjoy reading about the philosophies of your time." He took the books gently from her hold. "Thank you for thinking of me."

Kagome didn't bother to look up as she was still searching through things. "Of course I thought of you, silly! Sango, I got a bunch of the bath stuff you like."

Sango came over to take the offered bottles. "Thanks Kagome! I love this stuff. Did you…"

Kagome knew what Sango was asking. "Yeah, I got those too. No worries. Oh, Shippo, come here honey. All of you come over here. I got coloring books, drawing pads, and crayons for all of you. Shippo will show you how to use them." She handed the pile of books to Shinji and the drawing pads to Hitoshi. Isamu, Yuudai, and Rin gathered up the boxes of crayons. After a chorus of thank you they all followed Shippo to one side of the clearing where he immediately began showing off his knowledge of exciting things from Kagome's time by demonstrating the amazing crayon! Of course they were all surprised and awed and in minutes they were all drawing or coloring. "That is about the best money I could spend right there. Keeps them busy and quiet when you need it."

Sesshoumaru stood beside her looking down at the piles of items he could not identify. "You purchased extra of those 'crayons and coloring books' for my pups and Rin?"

"Of course I did. I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away too long." She shot him a grin and he, for a moment, fought the smile that wanted to rise to meet hers before he allowed it. Her smile widened at the sight of his. "I also got extra candy and pocky, Shippo's favorite, just for all of them. And…I even got…" She paused as she dug around, "something special…just for…you!" She finished as she found the wooden box and the ink refill packs. She held out the box which he just looked at. "Take it! I bought it for you! Open it and tell me if you like it. I really had no idea what to get you, so I took a guess."

Sesshoumaru was still in shock. She not only bought gifts for his young, but for him as well. Kagome actually thought enough of him to purchase something special just for him? His heart was beating just a little faster as he accepted the box from her and opened it. It didn't matter what was inside. Just the fact that she wanted to give him something was enough. Once the box was opened he looked at the contents in confusion that he didn't want her to see. He didn't want her to know that he had no idea what the three things in the box were. He was suddenly drowning in insecurity. Kagome knew things that he did not, had things he didn't understand. It was something he had never experienced before. He was used to being well informed about everything and yet in this situation he had no way of learning, except for her.

Kagome looked up at his face for a moment before giggling. "I didn't figure you would know what they are. They're pens. Writing tools, like a quill and ink, only the ink is inside the pen and comes out when you move the tip along the paper. Shippo, bring me a drawing pad for a second," she called out. Once Shippo arrived, followed, of course, by eight other curious children, she picked one of the pens up out of the box, uncapped it, and proceeded to demonstrate how to write with it.

"Wow! It's like magic!" Yuudai whispered, in awe of the wonder and glory of the pen.

"Not really, honey. It's just a newer design. This is an old style, too. When I'm doing my school work you can see the kind I use. So, what do you think Sesshoumaru?" She turned to look at him and froze. The way he was looking at her…it was like she was a goddess or something. Like she had just given a poor man a full five course meal, or something equally amazing and wonderful. Shaking off the feeling she spoke. "It's just a pen. No biggie. Hello? Sesshoumaru?" She snapped her fingers near his ear making him jump, bringing his focus back to her. "So, you like it?"

"This Sesshoumaru thanks you very much. It is an amazing gift."

Right at that moment Inuyasha returned with the third and final bag. "What gift?" He looked at Kagome who was still holding the pen and paper. "What, a pen? Big deal! Ohhhhh, I get it. You had no idea what it was did you? She had to explain it! Ha! Well, that's just awesome! Fuckin' perfect! Damn, Kagome, I wish you had a camera with you! I want to remember this moment forever. I know all kinds of things that the Great Lord Sesshoumaru knows nothing about! Oh, like the camera for example. It's this really cool little box that flashes a bright light and makes a perfect instant portrait. And that's just one example! How does that feel, huh? How does it feel to know your **worthless half-breed brother** knows more about something than you do? More than you **ever** will!" The hanyou was really enjoying gloating as he could see his brother was uncomfortable with his lack of knowledge, just like he expected.

"Inuyasha, leave him alone! You didn't have the faintest idea what a pen was either when you first saw one! And I don't know how many things you broke because they surprised you. You were horrified of the camera the first time I used it! You thought it was going to steal your soul or something! And how many alarm clocks of mine have you smashed with your damn sword, hmmm? Yeah, that's what I thought. So just shut up and sit!"

The pups and Sesshoumaru looked on with wonder, the pups at the power of the subjugation spell and Sesshoumaru because she had defended him against his brother. He had never expected she would be on his side against the hanyou, not after they had been together for so long. He was snapped out of his musings by her sweet voice. "Ignore him. There are tons of things he still doesn't understand. So, do you think you can use them? I thought they might be easier than the whole quill and ink mess. The only downside to these is they eventually run out of ink, but I got you a bunch of refills too and I'll show you how to put them in when you need them."

"It is a most thoughtful gift. I do an absurd amount of writing and you are right, bottles of ink can be a mess." He glanced at the children who were suddenly looking everywhere but at them. "Especially with young ones in the palace." They had, in fact, spilled several bottles of ink and ruined several irreplaceable rugs.

Kagome looked at him and then the children who were trying to be very nonchalant before laughing softly. "I imagine so."

"Thank you. I very much appreciate that you thought of me." She recapped the pen in her hand before giving it to him. He replaced it in the box and slid the box into the sleeve of his haori for safe keeping.

"Damn it Kagome! What the fuck was that for?" Inuyasha was finally up, and he was pissed off.

"It was because you were being an asshole! That's why! There is no reason for it. You and your brother need to get along and you can't do that if you're picking fights!"

"Speaking of fights, **brother**…" Inuyasha started. Sesshoumaru looked from Kagome to him and back. She was not going to like this.


	30. Mouthy Miko

**Chapter 30 – Mouthy Miko**

"You're going to **WHAT**?" Kagome screamed, making all the youkai and one hanyou cringe and pray that their ears didn't start bleeding.

Sesshoumaru had been right. She didn't like this. She didn't like this at all. He had only managed to get out, "Inuyasha and I will be engaging in a formal battle to…" before she started yelling. Really, how was he supposed to explain this to her if she was going to interrupt and make him deaf at the same time?!? "Kagome please let me finish."

"Let you finish? You want me to let you **finish**? I don't think **that** is going to happen. There is no way you two are going to fight. **Absolutely no way.** We are supposed to be working together now, not beating each other up! What is the matter with you two? I swear, I'm gonna…" Kagome's speech was muffled from there as Sesshoumaru had reached over and covered her mouth firmly with his hand. She was giving him glares that could freeze a flame in place and the things he was getting in his head were not very nice. At least they were quieter.

Inuyasha looked on, surprised at his brother's action as well as the fact that Kagome hadn't started trying to pry his hand off her face yet. All the children, along with Sango, were giggling at the sight. Miroku had lifted a brow in surprise, in a very Sesshoumaru-like fashion. Jaken was looking on in shock. Ah-un, Kirara, and Kazue didn't seem impressed.

"Kagome, please. This is important and must be done. Apparently my **brother** doesn't want to help me explain this, so I suppose this Sesshoumaru will do it alone." He paused for a moment, his eyes widening. She just licked his hand. Did she really? He had to have imagined it, right? She wouldn't have. He decided to go on. "We will be engaging in a formal battle, as is inu tradition, to determine which will become the alpha of the newly formed pack." She had finally stopped trying to use every curse she knew inside his head, having surprised him with several new and very creative additions to the list he had previously known, and it actually looked like she was listening now. "Like I had explained to you before, Inuyasha is the alpha male of your pack, as you are the alpha female." Inuyasha shot him a look that made clear he didn't quite agree, which Sesshoumaru immediately caught. "Are you trying to tell me, brother, that she is **not** your alpha female? Does she not lead in decisions while holding the group together as its central and most essential member? Does she not succeed in making you submit to her at her very whim with only one word? Because it is **very** clear to me and **every other youkai** **alive** that she is most definitely your alpha."

Inuyasha just 'keh'ed' while Kagome smiled behind Sesshoumaru's hand. Off to the side, listening in silence, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo were all nodding and Kirara adding in a mew of agreement as well.

"Exactly as I thought. So I can continue then?" When the hanyou did not protest, he went on. "So, Inuyasha is the alpha male in your pack and Kagome, you are the alpha female." He froze again and looked at her closely before asking silently 'Did you just lick this Sesshoumaru's hand?' She was silent in his head but her eyes said it all. She was playing with him now! He cleared his throat in an attempt to regain his line of thought. "Yes, and…oh, and I am obviously the alpha male of my pack. There is no alpha female in my pack so no challenge is necessary for you. When the packs are combined you automatically become the alpha female of the new pack. But as there are now two males who wish to be alpha there is a choice. Either one can concede defeat and submit to the other, making a fight unnecessary, or there is a challenge issued and accepted, as we have done. We must fight to ascertain who will be the new alpha male. The loser will then either become the beta, if the new alpha is forgiving, or possibly the omega." As he said this he shot a look at Inuyasha that clearly stated where he would end up if he lost.

Seeing the look Kagome licked his hand again which caused him to immediately turn back to her. This time her tongue did not just flick out for a quick slip over his skin but instead was tracing the lines of his fingers in the most erotic way imaginable. Her eyes sparkled with laughter at the look on his face. She was having fun and punishing him at the same time, in her own **very** interesting way. Plus, his skin tasted surprisingly good! 'Let me go and maybe I'll let you finish talking. Keep your hand here and I will keep you too distracted to think let alone talk.' Her voice was laughing softly in his mind. She knew exactly what she was doing to him. He was torn. He really couldn't decide. He needed to finish his explanation so the battle could begin so she could officially be HIS alpha female, but the sensation of her soft, warm, wet tongue gliding along his skin was very difficult to pass up. While he fought his internal battle everyone else stared at the two in confusion.

It really wasn't hard to see why they would be confused. He had just stopped talking and then he got the oddest look on his face. And Kagome, she looked like she was laughing! Wasn't she just furious and screaming a minute ago? Why was she allowing him to keep his hand over her mouth forcing her to be quiet? That was definitely not a Kagome thing to do. They all turned, though, when they heard Inuyasha begin to growl. Jaken had been about to launch into a string of insults. How dare the hanyou growl at his lord? He had opened his beak and taken in a deep breath to begin his rant when he was bopped on the top of his head by the monk, who had his own idea about what was occurring before them, and this time his dirty mind was actually right.

He had been completely focused on the sensation which she had yet to halt, lost in the absolutely erotic nature of her actions when she suddenly pulled her tongue back and looked at him surprised before looking at Inuyasha. It was then that the demon lord realized his brother was growling at him. And then he realized why. He had been so focused on her he hadn't even realized that he was becoming aroused, very aroused. Apparently that fact had not been missed by his brother though. He immediately pulled his hand back away from her mouth and turned a bit in an attempt to hide any visual evidence.

Inuyasha had been confused too when his brother had stopped talking. Somehow Kagome had distracted him, it seemed, as his eyes were locked with hers. And what did the wench find so fucking amusing? The sparkle in her eyes was just too obvious to miss. She was laughing inside. It was then that he smelled it. He actually had to take a second, deeper sniff because at first he was sure he was mistaking the scent for something else. But no, the second sniff confirmed it. His brother was getting steadily more and more aroused. A quick glance south and he could no longer believe it was anything else, no matter how much he wished it was. The growl that had escaped him had been unbidden. He didn't mean to, but it was just something about his brother being aroused by his Kagome that pissed him off to no end. Oh, now his brother was really gonna get it. If he hadn't been so angry he might have laughed at the look on his brother's face as he realized what had happened to him. And turning had done absolutely nothing to hide it either.

But it seemed that Kagome took pity on him as she stood directly in front of him blocking the view of everyone but the hanyou who had already seen anyway. She made a definite point to take one long look down before she spoke, one eyebrow raised in a very cute Sesshoumaru imitation. "Sesshoumaru? You were saying?" Her voice barely held in her amusement but it was also laced with just a hint of flirtation as well. He couldn't think of what to say for a moment. When it became obvious he had no idea where he had left off or where to start she decided to help him out and clue him in just this one last time. "You were saying winner becomes the new alpha and lose becomes the beta or omega?"

The others looked on, once again lost at the intricacies of the conversation occurring before them. They had no idea why Inuyasha had been growling or why he was now glaring intently at his older half-brother and soon to be opponent. Kagome had moved soon enough after he removed his hand that no one had seen the source of the added animosity. Now their view remained blocked as Kagome stood in front of the demon lord, leaving only his head and shoulders visible over her head. A demon lord who looked incredibly relieved once she reminded him of where he left off. The wind, thankfully, had been blowing gently in such a way that the scent of his arousal had gone in the opposite direction of the group so none of the demon noses of the new pack had picked it up.

Finally getting a bit more control, Sesshoumaru started again. "There will be rules to the battle. No weapons will be used. Because I am a full demon and Inuyasha is only half, I will not be allowed to transform or allow my beast control. My swords will be removed, as well as my armor. Inuyasha will keep the Tetsusaiga to prevent a transformation but will not draw it or use it in any way. Since the cloak of the fire rat serves as a kind of armor for him, we have agreed to fight without any protection to the upper body. Just hakamas will be allowed. Since my poison acts as an additional weapon, in most circumstances I would not be allowed to use it unless the opponent had a similar asset but," he paused for a moment, wishing he didn't have to draw her attention to it. "because I am missing my left arm my poison will be allowed as the equalizer, compensating for my disadvantage." He watched her eyes for any negative signs but saw none. He was a bit relieved. At least she didn't grimace at the thought. "The fight will be either until one of us loses consciousness and thus loses or one submits to the other, accepting them as their alpha. It will be a very serious battle but the goal is not to kill but to force the other to submit, thus establishing authority. No one will die. The battle will probably be long. No one may interfere. There is a reason, though, that I had to tell you all of this." He was sure that this was where all hell was going to break loose again. This was the part that was really going to piss her off, way more than before.

Kagome was looking at him with a serious look in her eyes. "Go on. Tell me why I needed to know all this in detail." Her voice was just as serious as her eyes, if not more so, and he knew this would not turn out well, but it had to be done.

"Kagome, as the alpha female, it is your responsibility to observe the battle to ensure the rules are followed. You are the one will declare the battle over if one of us falls unconscious. You must be the witness if one chooses to submit and end the fight. It is also your duty to announce the new alpha to the pack once it has been decided."

"You've got to be kidding me." Her voice was low and angry. "You two are going to make we watch you fight each other, beat each other bloody, until your both half dead or worse? You want me to stand there and watch and not interfere? And then you want me to reward the winner? You've got to be hallucinating if you think I'm going to condone this by being involved. No. No, **I refuse**. So you can just go ahead and make Sango alpha female or do it without one, because IT…IS… NOT… GOING….TO… HAPPEN." Her last words were said just as low as the first, but her tone had turned vicious. She was beyond pissed. When she finished speaking she simply turned and walked away, disappearing into the trees. Kazue trailed close behind her mistress as it was her responsibility to ensure her safety always, even if Kagome really looked like she wanted to be alone.

Sesshoumaru turned to look at his brother. His earlier problem was long gone so he could now stand however he wanted. This time her anger had been too serious for him to find it arousing. No, she was really, really furious this time. The way she had looked at them reminded him of how she had looked at Kouga and she used the same low, angry, threatening tone. This was nothing like their fight over her going home. Hell, if he had experienced this first then he would have never been worried then. But now...now he was worried again. She looked like she would never forgive either of them, and it was worse for him because he had been the one to say it all. If his brother had helped, even a little, then maybe her anger wouldn't be so focused on him. "This Sesshoumaru would like to thank you, **half-breed**, for your great assistance in explaining this to her." He had never sounded quite so sarcastic in all of his very long life.

"Fuck you, asshole. At least** I'm** not the one she's mad at." Inuyasha then met with the ground in a most violent way, yet no one had touched him. No, Sesshoumaru had not attacked him. He might have but it happened before he could move. The furious miko had not yet moved as far away as they had expected and she had heard him, issuing a quiet 'sit' just loud enough to activate the beads. He deserved it. Once she had done so and was satisfied by the crash and subsequent groan of pain she continued to walk away.

He could feel her anger through their mark, as could the others who looked worried for her. She was not only angry, though. She was angry, worried, and frightened. She was worried about them. She didn't want to see them fight. They both were her friends. How could they expect her to sit and watch them brutalize each other? No, she couldn't do it. She was sure.

When the hanyou had risen and managed to spit out most of the dirt in his mouth he looked to his older brother. When he spoke his voice was so low that only Sesshoumaru could hear. "I don't know what the fuck was going on, but I want to know right fucking now why you were aroused by my Kagome!"

Sesshoumaru snarled in response but spoke just as low. "Your Kagome? Since when has the miko been yours? This Sesshoumaru has not seen **your** mark upon her. I have seen my mark, the mark of her kit, and the marks of my sons, but not **your** mark. Perhaps you are mistaken." The taiyoukai knew just where to attack to cause the most damage. He knew Inuyasha was jealous about the marks. It was a low blow but he was just asking for it and Sesshoumaru couldn't help but take the shot.

**"**Fuck you!** Goddamnit! FUCK … YOU! She has been mine since she was pulled through that damn well and released me! She was mine when she fought against your trick to save me from the unmother when you attacked me! She was mine when she gave the Tetsusaiga to ME! She was mine when you tried to KILL her with your damn poison and FAILED! She was mine when she helped me realize how to make the sword transform! She was mine every time I protected her and saved her from anything and everything that tried to hurt her, including you! She has been mine every single fucking day and every night since her fifteenth fucking birthday. Nearly two years! Just because a couple of weeks ago you decided all of a sudden that you didn't hate her doesn't make her yours! Just because you have a mark on her doesn't make her yours! She is mine! MINE! My miko! My best friend! My angel! My savior! My Kagome! MINE! That girl is fucking everything to me and you will not take her away from me. I won't let you!"** When he had finished screaming at the top of his lungs at his brother he slumped to the ground, knees pulled up to his chest and his face pressed into his knees. The stress of everything was getting to be too much for him. He was sure his brother was up to something and that it had something to do with Kagome and he didn't like it one bit. He couldn't take her away from him. He just couldn't.

Sesshoumaru had been shocked into silence when his brother had started. He knew his brother cared about Kagome but he had never seen him so passionate about anything before. Without thinking he kneeled next to his brother and spoke. "Inuyasha, I do not wish to take Kagome away from you. This Sesshoumaru is well aware of the bond you two share and I could never hope to break it. I would never try." At this, Inuyasha looked up at his elder brother. "You have finally found someone who accepts your hanyou heritage, who has never judged you. She has taught you to trust, really and completely trust. She taught you how to love, how to have friends, everything. Just her presence had changed your entire life. She has built a pack around you, giving you a family once more. No, I would never take her away from you, brother. I am glad that you found her and I am even more pleased that you have finally realized her worth. Now, how are we going to settle this? This Sesshoumaru will not submit. If you refuse to as well then the battle will have to occur."

"I'm not going down without a fight, you asshole. Even if I lose, at least I would know I fought. If you win, you have to promise me though. Promise me that you will not make decisions that will put her in danger. And please, don't keep her away from me. I don't care what you make me, beta, omega; it makes no fucking difference as long as she is still by my side."

All the others remaining had been shocked by Inuyasha's outburst, and even more so by Sesshoumaru's response to it. Once everyone saw that they were talking as brothers should for once, everyone pretended to not pay attention. In reality everyone was straining to hear everything that was being said. The pups were all smiling. They knew their father wished to have a relationship with his brother, their uncle, and maybe this would be a start. Jaken had once again been bopped into silence, this time by the slayer. He was sure that if this was allowed to continue on he would receive permanent damage. The two brothers were oblivious to any and all things outside of their conversation.

"This Sesshoumaru will never intentionally allow the miko to be in danger. Her protection, as well as the protection of the young, will be our top priority. And I would never keep her away from you. You must promise me, then, than you will not try to keep her away from me as well. This Sesshoumaru very much enjoys her presence."

"Yeah, I noticed. What in the hell was that about anyway?"

Sesshoumaru looked over at his brother who was now watching him closely as he tried to decide if he should answer. Eventually he gave a small shrug of his shoulders and spoke. "Our Kagome found it entertaining to distract me from my purpose by licking my hand."

It was Inuyasha's turn to lift a brow. "Our Kagome? And she licked you? What the hell?"

"Yes, brother, our Kagome. And yes, I know. I was quite shocked as well. But that is not important at the moment. We have a much bigger issue at hand. How are we going to get her to agree to the battle?"

"I don't know. When she sets her mind to something it's damn near impossible to change it. And she hates to see me fight if I don't have to. It's because she cares about me, I suppose. She doesn't like to see me hurt. And now that somehow she's your 'friend' too, it's probably the same. Not that I like it, though. I still don't trust you. I still haven't forgiven you or forgotten. But I would do anything for her. For her, I will **try** to put up with your ass." Signaling that he was done talking by standing, Inuyasha walked away following the scent trail left by Kagome.

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Kagome stormed away once she had whispered "sit" and heard the sound of Inuyasha hitting the ground. As if it wasn't bad enough that they didn't get along, now they had to fight? Sure, they weren't using weapons but they didn't need weapons. She had seen the kind of damage each of them could do with bare hands. And with no protection? No armor? They were going to tear each other up! And not only was she supposed to watch and reward the winner, she was sure to end up being the one having to bandage and heal all their wounds. No. She would not let them do this to her. She would not be involved. She would not condone. Tradition or not, she wanted absolutely nothing to do with the whole thing.

She eventually stopped walking, having ending up deep in Inuyasha's Forest, and she sat on a nice convenient large rock. Kazue jumped into her lap and she automatically started stroking her fur. "Why, Kazue, huh? Can you tell me why? Why do they have to do this? How can they expect me to agree to it? I just don't understand how fighting within the pack can be right. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru fight enough already. They don't need to fight more. They need to find a way to get along and coexist. I just…I just don't think I could sit and watch."

'Mistress…Kagome, the battle is necessary. A pack can not have two alphas or there would be constant fighting and chaos. If this issue is not decided then they will end up fighting continuously about everything and anything. It is the job of the alpha male to make important decisions for the pack which is followed by all members. Imagine for a minute, we arrive at a split in the pack and we must decide which direction to continue. Do we go to the left or the right? How would your pack decide this'

Kagome thought for a moment before answering silently. 'I guess we would all give our opinions based on what we sensed, but Inuyasha always ended up making the final decision.'

'Exactly. Now imagine the new pack. Sesshoumaru wishes to go to the right and Inuyasha wished to go the left. Who do you follow? Who does the pack listen to? Even such a simple decision could end up dividing the pack, with each member deciding who they chose to listen to. Then no decisions could be made. Fights would happen over every little thing. That is why they must determine who will be the alpha.'

'I guess, but do they have to fight?'

'Neither wishes to submit to the other. They are stubborn and neither wishes to have to listen to the other. The battle is the traditional inu way to decide these things. To simply submit would hurt their pride and honor, but to battle and lose is not considered dishonorable. It, instead, forms the relationship between the two. Since both must remain in the pack, it has to be decided once and for all who will lead and who will follow. This is why they are not fighting to the death, which some would do. They have chosen the lesser of the two battles for you, so that you do not have to lose either of them.'

'Oh. So, some battles to be alpha would be to the death?'

'Yes, my lady. Most, actually. Either to the death or with the loser being banished permanently from the pack. Can you think of any other way for them to decide that would make a definite, final decision?'

Kagome thought and thought and thought some more. No matter what she thought of, she could still see them fighting again later. It was true. They are both stubborn and neither would willingly submit to the other. There was no way to talk this out. And if they tried to decide by a vote among the pack members then someone would end up being hurt and feeling betrayed. Maybe this **is** the only way. 'Alright, I guess your right. But I still don't like it. I don't want to watch them hurt each other. I care about both of them and seeing them hurt hurts me. It's not fair.'

'Kagome, I understand your difficulty with the situation. You are a human trying to live in a demon pack following demon rules that you know nothing of. When it was just your small pack, things weren't as obvious but you still followed pack rules. Now, with so many more demon members, things will be a bit more apparent. Inuyasha's demon instincts will become stronger being surrounded by other inu. There will be some differences that you will have to adjust to.'

'Yeah, okay. I see. But just because I understand doesn't mean I have to agree. Can't they do this without me?'

'No. You are the alpha female, whether you were aware before or not. You must be there to witness. You must enforce the rules. You are at the same level of authority as the alpha male in most cases and must be present to ensure that the new alpha male is chosen properly. Until the battle has ended you will be the only true authority in the pack. You have to be there. There is no other way. The hanyou approaches us.'

Kagome hadn't sensed him before because she had been focused on Kazue and dealing with her feelings. She looked up and saw him walking slowly up to her. He sat in front of her on the forest floor, legs and arms both crossed in his normal fashion. He looked at her and then let out a long sigh. "Kagome, I know you don't like the idea but we have to do this. I can't just roll over for him, even if he is stronger. I have to fight to maintain my honor. Please, Kagome. Do this for me?"

Kagome glared at him for a minute before her face softened. "Fine, but I still don't like it." Kagome stood, as did Inuyasha. Kazue leapt onto Kagome's shoulder and they began to return to their camp.

"Really? That was easier than I thought it would be." Inuyasha had expected a long drawn out fight but she had caved right away.

Kagome smiled. "Well, I had some time to think about it." She had no intention of telling him about her conversation with Kazue. When they returned to the camp Inuyasha simply nodded at his brother who rose from his seat at the base of a tree and approached while the others looked on with curiosity. "I said I would do it. But I still don't like it and I'm still angry. I want you both to promise me that if you are losing and are badly injured, that you will end it and submit. Please don't fight until you get knocked out. It really scares me when you're unconscious." Kagome looked at Inuyasha with her last sentence. "I never know if you injured your brain or something, and I hate waiting for you to wake up. Sometimes I'm afraid you won't wake up at all." She turned to Sesshoumaru. "The same goes for you. I know you're strong and have powerful demon healing but I don't want to see you knocked out either. Can you both promise me?"

"This Sesshoumaru will do his best, but I cannot promise. Submitting is not in my nature."

Inuyasha scoffed at that. "Yeah, right. And you think it's in mine? Look, Kagome, if I know I'm gonna lose, then I'll submit, but if there is any chance I can win I will fight until the end. I'm sorry, but I can't promise either."

Kagome growled under her breath, startling both brothers for a moment. "Fine, whatever. It doesn't matter what I think anyway. Let's just get this over with."

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Thanks goes to **Coffee Flavored Fate** for helping me with the revisions. **You're Awesome!**


	31. Of Blood and Brothers

**Chapter 31 – Of Blood and Brothers**

They had chosen a large open field near the village for the battle and everyone had gathered at the tree line to watch as was required. Even the children were to watch, which also pissed Kagome off. The idea of watching didn't bother the boys but Rin had been sheltered as much as possible from battle and bloodshed since she had been with Sesshoumaru, so she clung close to Sango who held her hand. All had been informed that no outside interference was allowed. No one was to try to stop the fight. No one was to yell things to or at the fighters. They were to watch quietly.

Kagome, who had mokomoko draped across her shoulders at the demon lord's request, walked to the center of the field with Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. It was so long that it reached the ground on both sides, brushing her feet with the ends. He had claimed to not want to leave it on the ground with his haori, obi and swords, but she had a feeling it was something more. He could have given it to Rin or any of his sons but instead it had found its resting place on her. She remembered for a moment the flight to his palace when it had wrapped around her waist, moving on its own. So far the thing hadn't moved but she had a sneaking suspicion it could. She had been too angry still to ask more about it, instead she just allowed him to put the thing on her. Just having it there seemed to calm her a bit. Something about the odd warmth of the thing and the softness of the fur was relaxing and made her feel safe and secure.

She looked over the two, both in only hakamas with the sun glistening off tan skin and perfectly sculpted muscles. The Tetsusaiga was still hanging at Inuyasha's side, as had been agreed on. She looked from one to the other as they took their places a few yards apart in the central area of the field. Kagome sent each a glare before walking a short distance away. She could not watch from a distance as the alpha female but instead had to be much closer. She was far enough away to not be caught in the middle but still close enough to watch every blow, hear every word, and see every drop of blood, which she wasn't looking forward to.

They stood facing each other awaiting the agreed upon signal from Kagome. All the others had already wished them both luck, an action which Kagome thought was pointless. Why offer each of them luck in a fight against each other? When Kagome reached her desired distance (well, not desired, but more like required) she turned back and looked at them both once more, taking a moment to study their glistening torsos which she knew were soon the be covered in cuts, bruises, and blood. She glanced for a moment at the tiny Kazue sitting at her feet. She lifted both of her arms as everyone, especially the competitors, watched. When her arms lowered again the battle had officially begun.

Neither moved. Instead each was staring intently at the other. The silence and stillness lasted a whole minute before Sesshoumaru decided to end it. "This Sesshoumaru will give you one last chance to submit and be spared the beating you are sure to receive, half-breed."

Inuyasha snarled before rushing at Sesshoumaru. Everyone was startled as the taiyoukai seemed to disappear into thin air, causing Inuyasha to stumble when his attack had nothing to connect with. Whirling around, he found that his brother now stood where he had started from, essentially trading places.

"Pathetic. How do you expect to injure this Sesshoumaru if you cannot catch me?" Sesshoumaru knew just what he was doing. The angrier he made Inuyasha the less he thought and the more wild and unplanned his attacks were which tended to leave him open to attacks from his opponent.

It worked as Inuyasha leapt at him once again while screaming, "Shut the fuck up and fight asshole!" This time Sesshoumaru stayed perfectly still until the last second, which made the hanyou believe his attack was going to connect. When the demon lord moved to the side just enough to avoid Inuyasha's claws, the hanyou continued past him leaving his back open. In a move too fast to see Inuyasha now had four long, deep sizzling gashes running vertically the length of his back.

"First blood, brother," Sesshoumaru said in an extraordinarily derogatory tone. Inuyasha twisted just in time to catch his own claws in Sesshoumaru's unprotected left side. He could not prevent the attack in time, as he was missing the arm on that side.

"Second blood, then, you bastard!" While Inuyasha was busy running his mouth Sesshoumaru closed in again and punched him directly in the chin, sending him flying up and away ending in a slide on his bleeding back through the grass.

Sesshoumaru was immediately on top of him, his right knee planted in the center of the downed half-demon's chest and his claws wrapped firmly around his throat. "Submit," he snarled.

It looked for a moment as if Inuyasha was actually considering it which caused Sesshoumaru to unconsciously loosen the hold he had on his brother's throat. Not the best idea, as Inuyasha reached up and clawed with both hands from the upper thigh to the knee that was holding him down while twisting his entire body. He managed to escape the hold and moved to leap away, but before he had moved a foot, three new lines burned across his back, horizontally this time, caused by Sesshoumaru's youki whip.

At the searing pain Inuyasha turned to attack again and received several lashes across his chest. As he leapt back to avoid the whip again he yelled out, "Kagome, behind you!" Sesshoumaru had been facing away from Kagome and immediately, instinctively turned to move and protect her. As his sight reached her though, she was still standing alone and completely safe. He, however, was not; as Inuyasha had closed in and was yelling "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer" as his youki powered claw attack came right for him. Sesshoumaru managed to dodge the worst of it but still ended up with some nice deep gouges down his chest.

Kagome was watching them still as a statue, just her eyes following their movements. She watched as blood ran down Inuyasha's back in rivers and as Sesshoumaru's right pant leg turned from white to crimson. On and on they fought while she saw cut after cut, punch after punch, and heard taunt after taunt. The taunts were what were pissing her off the most. They were saying the most awful things to each other and Inuyasha had even used her as a distraction to get a hit in on Sesshoumaru. In her opinion that wasn't fighting fair, but it wasn't in the rules so she couldn't do anything about it. The clearing was filled with yells of Iron Reaver Soul Stealer and Blades of Blood. Sesshoumaru didn't find it necessary to call out his own attacks, merely sending poison blades across the open space without a word, the green blades clashing with the red blades sent by his younger brother.

She had started to cry without even noticing. She was too busy looking at them to notice that mokomoko wrapped around her as if feeling her distress, holding her gently. They were both covered head to toe in blood. Their hair was matted with blood, grass, and dirt. They sported cuts everywhere and it was hard to tell who was really winning. Inuyasha, though, appeared to be tiring faster than his brother and eventually he found himself pinned again, only this time his Sesshoumaru had a knee on either side of his chest and an arm pinned under each. The grip on his throat was unforgiving and no matter how much he struggled he could not get loose. He could feel the darkness closing in as the blood loss was catching up with the rapidly increasing need for oxygen.

Sesshoumaru had won. It was certain. But he did not want to win by making his brother pass out. No, he wanted his willing submission. He wanted to hear it. The hanyou needed to be forced to admit it aloud or he would never truly give up his alpha status in his own mind. He loosened his hand just enough to allow Inuyasha to pull in a gasping breath. "You know you will never win now. You have a choice." His voice was low, and while all the demons around could hear, the humans, even Kagome who was much closer, could not. "You can either continue to struggle until you black out or you can willingly submit to me as your alpha." Inuyasha tried to growl but it came out as an odd strangled sound instead. "Remember, little brother, your words to Kagome? You told her you would submit if you knew you could not win. Did you lie to her? Again? There is no way for you to escape now. You are too weak. You will not get up from here unless I let you and I will not let you until I hear you say it."

Kagome was concerned. Inuyasha was still struggling but Sesshoumaru had him pinned. There was no way out. She could see that. But she couldn't hear what was being said. After a few moments that seemed to drag on forever Kagome began a slow approach.

Inuyasha did not want to do it. He didn't want to submit to his bastard of a brother. He would rather let the asshole strangle him within an inch of his life then say those words. But his brother reminded him of his words to Kagome. He knew she would be more upset than she surely already was if he was unconscious. Her words floated through his head, how worried she was whenever he was unconscious. How she feared he wouldn't wake up. No, he couldn't do that to her if he could prevent it. His rational mind had decided but his stubborn pride was forcing him to continue to struggle. His struggle ended, though, as she came into his field of vision. She looked worried and afraid. And she had tears streaming down her face. She was crying, whether for him or his brother he didn't know, but he didn't want to her cry anymore. He fell still beneath his brother.

Feeling Inuyasha finally stop struggling he spoke again. "Are you ready to submit now brother? There is no shame in doing so. You have fought well and caused as much injury to me as I have caused to you. You will make an excellent beta to this Sesshoumaru."

Inuyasha's eyes widened. Beta? He was sure his brother intended to humiliate him by making him the pack omega. He could handle beta. He would have been beta if their pack had never separated to begin with. He moved his head as much as was possible in an attempt at a nod. Sesshoumaru loosened the hold on his throat to allow him to speak. Kagome was standing right beside them now, still crying silently. "I, Inuyasha, second son of the Great Inu no Taisho submit to you, Sesshoumaru, first son of the same as my alpha and leader." His voice was soft and rough from the near strangling and exhaustion. When he had finished speaking Sesshoumaru released his throat completely, leaned down and placed a soft kiss to his brother's forehead.

"This Sesshoumaru accepts your submission and names you as my beta, second in command." He then rolled to the side, lying on his back beside his brother, panting in his own pain and exhaustion.

Kagome stood above them, still taking in what had just occurred. The fight was over. It had been decided. She turned then to face the rest of the pack, lifting her voice so that it could be heard by all. "The battle has ended. Inuyasha has submitted and accepted Sesshoumaru as pack alpha. Sesshoumaru has named Inuyasha his beta and second in command." She then looked back at the two, wiping her tears from her face. Her voice was lower now, but all with demon senses could hear. "I hope you both are happy. You can take care of own wounds. I will not treat them and I will not heal them. As far as I am concerned, you can both go to hell!" With that said she turned on her heel and walked away with Kazue hot on her heels. She left behind a stunned alpha and beta, seven shocked young inus, one not so shocked kitsune and a fire cat too. Miroku, Sango, and Rin looked on, confused, as they had not heard her words but only saw her walk away. Within moments, everyone surrounded the two who still lay side by side on the ground.

"Shit," was all Inuyasha could manage to say. Jaken was squawking over the condition of his great lord, and Rin looked close to tears. Ah Un and Kirara in her battle form approached and Miroku and Sango helped Inuyasha onto Kirara's back as Sesshoumaru forced himself to his feet to mount Ah Un. They all returned to their camp hoping to find Kagome there. She wasn't. Both brothers needed their wounds treated but they needed them cleaned first, so they were taken to the hot springs where the pups and Miroku helped them both to undress and enter the spring. Once they were settled into the water and sitting comfortably they ordered everyone else away and sat in silence, soaking the dirt and dried blood from their sore and exhausted forms.

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He hadn't been anywhere in the west, so Kagura finally decided she would go check with the hanyou's group. Inuyasha might know something. Even thought the brothers didn't get along they still ran into each other often enough that he might have some idea. Now she needed to figure out how she would get a chance to talk before the idiot attacked her. Maybe she would be lucky enough to find the miko alone. Then maybe she would get a chance to talk. The girl wasn't as quick to attack as the short-tempered inu hanyou.

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Back at the camp there was a small crowd talking over what had happened. Shinji had his arms around Rin as they explained to her that both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha would be just fine. That neither had any serious wounds and they would heal themselves in no time. Once she seemed calmer they all began to discuss the battle. While Yoshi had declared his surprise at Kagome's words and departure, Hitoshi seemed to understand. He knew she cared about both of them and that she would return, and probably sooner rather than later. They had experienced her feelings during the fight, after all, and she had been more frightened and worried than angry. No, he was sure that when she said what she did before she left she was trying her best not to break down. He figured that it was easier to be angry than deal with the rush of feelings she had experienced, and they had felt through the marks, as she stood looking down at the two covered in dirt and blood, brothers who had done that to each other and forced her to watch.

Akihiro agreed immediately with his brother's appraisal of the situation. Even now they could feel her and she wasn't angry at all. She was upset, very very upset. After shooting a glance at Miroku and Sango who were sitting near the fire sharing their own opinions on the battle, and then to Jaken who was pacing and muttering to himself, they decided. They stood silently and crept away in search of their miko. She needed someone to lean on and cry and they all were more than happy to be there for her. It didn't take them long at all to locate her. She was sitting on a large rock deep in the forest, the same one, actually, as when Inuyasha had found her at earlier. She had her face in her hands and she was crying, her shoulders shaking with the power of her sobs.

No one was quite sure how to approach and it was Rin who finally moved in close. "Kagome? Rin is worried. We are all worried. Are you okay?" Kagome looked up then and saw them all surrounding her. She opened her arms and pulled Rin in close. Mokomoko unwrapped from Kagome a little and wrapped around Rin's waist as well. Rin wasn't surprised. She had known for a long time that her lord's furry thing could move.

"I…I just couldn't…I couldn't…they just looked so…" They all moved in closer, Yoshi running his hands through her hair while Shinji and Hitoshi both rubbed her back. Kazue leapt onto her shoulder, sitting slightly on the white fur still covering her. Yuudai and Isamu sat one next to each of her legs, wrapping their arms around her calves and resting their heads on the sides of her knees. Shippo crawled into her lap next to Rin who was still in her embrace. Hisoka rubbed her right arm and Akihiro spoke.

"We all understand, Kagome. It was hard for you to watch and seeing them injured and filthy was too much for you. I'm sure they understand too."

It would have been quite a sight to any outsiders. Kagome sat with a long length of white fur wrapped around her and a little girl and a small kitsune in her arms. She had a little demon boy wrapped around each leg, and three standing on one side of her and two more on the other, along with a tiny one on her shoulder. Only one was not touching her, as the others rubbed her back, arm, and hair, each in their own attempt to calm her and make her feel better. Her sadness hurt them all.

Kagome sniffled and her crying slowed. "But they needed me. They needed me then and I left them. How could they forgive me for that?"

"Trust me, Kagome. They understand. They both knew you would be angry but there was no other way to solve the problem."

She looked up then. "Are they alright? Are the others taking care of them?" She reached out her left arm and took Akihiro's hand, completing the image as she was now connected to each of them.

"They wished to go to the hot springs to clean their wounds. We helped them in but then they sent us away."

"You mean they're alone? And injured? In the hot spring? How do they expect to clean their wounds? They're absolutely covered in them and I don't think either of them is strong enough right now do it themselves, let alone help each other. No, I'm going to go help them." Taking the hint everyone released their holds on her, mokomoko releasing its hold on Rin but still holding snugly to Kagome, and allowed her to stand. "Take me back to camp so I can get my things please?" They led her silently through the trees, knowing she still needed to think and just happy she was no longer sending out feelings of despair. Akihiro never released her hand, and instead Hisoka had taken hold of the other.

When they reached the camp Sango and Miroku moved to talk to her but she simply lifted a hand and Yoshi and Shin moved to lead the two back to their seats at the fire. Kagome gathered her old bathing suit, as her new one was still in her time, along with her antibacterial soap, shampoo and conditioner, a few towels, a wash cloth, and a fully stocked first aid kit with extra bandages. A lot of extra bandages. Miroku and Sango looked on, having been told what she intended to do. Jaken started to protest, having heard as well, but his noise was cut off in his throat with the glare he got from his lord's eldest son. Young Lord Yoshikazu, in his opinion, was quickly becoming just as intimidating as his father.

Kagome moved behind a bush and changed quickly, throwing an oversized t-shirt on over the faded red two-piece before replacing the fur and returning and picking up the smaller bag she had filled with her supplies. The boys looked at each other, deciding without words that Shippo and Akihiro would take her to the spring. Everyone else settled down for the wait, deciding to play with the amazing 'crayon' things their Kagome had brought for them.

No one spoke during the short walk and when they had reached the edge of the brush that surrounded the hot spring Akihiro and Shippo left her with Kazue. She hesitated for a minute before stepping down the short path to the edge of the warm water. When she reached the edge she put down her bag on a convenient rock ledge, unwrapped mokomoko, and slipped into the water between two very startled brothers.


	32. A Demon,Hanyou,Miko Walk into a Spring

**Chapter 32 – A Demon, a Hanyou, and a Miko Walk into a Spring**

They had both felt the approach of the small group but had been surprised when just Kagome and a tiny Kazue came through the path. Neither had said anything and neither did she as she set down her things, unwrapped mokomoko and carefully set it on the ground as well, and slid into the water between them. Silence filled the steamy air as both brothers realized that they were completely naked in the spring with an only partially dressed Kagome. A far-away look slipped into two sets of golden eyes as they both imagined just what could happen. Of course in their minds the other was definitely not present. When no one said anything Kagome moved out to the middle and turned around to look at them both. It wasn't until that moment that she realized the situation she had just put herself in. They were naked! A deep red blush spread across her cheeks and down her throat. She shook her head quickly to clear any wandering thoughts to remember why she was there in the first place.

"Guys?" She waited until she had their attention before continuing. "I'm sorry I left you. I just…you both looked so…"

It was Sesshoumaru who spoke first. "You do not need to apologize, Kagome. We both expected that you would be upset. If we could have avoided the battle we would have. You must know this. We did not wish to hurt you and this Sesshoumaru is deeply sorry for forcing you to witness such."

Inuyasha looked at his brother for a moment before he turned back to Kagome. "Yeah, what he said. But what in the hell are you doing here, wench?" Sesshoumaru frowned at the phrasing but he had been wondering the same thing.

"The kids told me you were here…and that you sent them away. I was worried. You're both pretty badly injured, even with your demon healing. And you are covered in open wounds that are full of dirt. There is no way you could take care of this yourselves. Why did you send them away? Miroku and the boys would have helped you." Kagome gave them a look that demanded an answer.

"I didn't want the damn monk here trying to fuck with me. And the boys, they don't need to be involved in this."

"Wow, Inuyasha, how…caring…of you." Kagome was surprised. She hadn't expected that from him. "Well, you aren't sending me away. I've got soap and shampoo to get all that dirt and grass and germs off of you, and then antiseptic and bandages too. You especially, Inuyasha. You've got poison in the wounds on your chest and back and I need to flush them out. And some of the big gashes might need to be sewn back together too! You did too much damage to each other for me to heal it all so you're going to have to make due with first aid and your own healing."

"Are you trying to say that you're gonna bathe us, wench?" Inuyasha was blushing now. Sure, she had cleaned his wounds and bandaged him lots of times but he had never been completely naked in front of her. And his damn brother was there too! She intended to touch the great demon lord? Hah! Like he would allow that. But then there was that thing earlier. Inuyasha shook his head trying to remove the image of his aroused brother from his minds eye. Maybe Sesshoumaru would allow her to after all.

Kagome looked Sesshoumaru dead in the eyes. "Yes, I fully intend to help each of you bathe, clean your wounds, and get you bandaged up. And no one is going to complain about it, right?" Her eyes held a challenge, expecting Sesshoumaru to protest such close contact with her but he had absolutely no intention of doing so. She was welcome to touch him in any way any where at any time. Like he would complain?! More like he had dreamt of such situations. Of course, his brother hadn't been involved, but sometimes you have to take what you can get.

Inuyasha only let out a nervous, "Keh," at the miko before looking away, trying to control the blood rushing to his face and…well, you know.

Kagome looked them both over for a minute, trying to decide who needed her help first. She eventually decided on Inuyasha since it would take him longer to heal and he had the poison to deal with. She put out her arm and pointed at him before motioning him over with her index finger. Reluctantly he moved towards her while making sure that the water level covered anything especially important. He had never been completely naked in front of a woman before, and the closest he had gotten was with Kikyo, the memory of which still threatened to make him hurl. She made him turn then and looked over his back. It looked like Sesshoumaru had been planning on playing tic-tac-toe later, as the cuts made a perfect pattern of squares. She put her hands gently on his shoulders and said "Dunk." He obeyed, slipping under the water, staying under for a moment as she moved his hair around, trying to get the worst of it loose. When he rose again, she herded him back to where he had been seated but this time she sat first and had him sit before her. Reaching for her things, she grabbed a wash cloth and, after throwing his hair over one shoulder, began to clean out the long gashes that lined his back. Once she had them as clean as possible and they had stopped sizzling, she pulled out the antibacterial soap and washed his whole back gently, grimacing when he hissed in pain.

When she had finished washing his back she grabbed the bottle of shampoo and washed his hair carefully, paying extra attention around his cute puppy ears that she loved so much, making sure not to hurt them. She had him rinse and then she had to repeat the wash, as his hair still held a red tinge to it. After a quick conditioning, she then moved on to clean the wounds on his chest and arms, even carefully washing his face. "Do you have any wounds on your legs, Inuyasha?"

"No, wench, the legs are fine. Are you done yet?" He was in a hurry to get this over with. At first he had thought he would enjoy it, but it was just too weird to be naked in a hot spring with Kagome and his naked brother. No, definitely too weird to enjoy. Just one more experience to add to his list of 'not as he had imagined' events.

"In a minute. Here, wash your lower half for me. I'll turn around. Then when you're done, grab the towel I'm putting here on the edge and come out. Wrap the towel around your waist, okay?"

"Are you kidding me? You want me to come out of here, naked, while you're standing right there?"

"Oh, come on, Inuyasha. Don't be such a baby!" She shot a smirk at Sesshoumaru who had been watching with a mixture of jealousy and anticipation. She then lifted her wet body out of the water, her soaked white t-shirt clinging tightly to her form, clearly showing the faded red bikini below. She faced the forest with her eyes closed for extra insurance, waiting for the sound of Inuyasha exiting the spring.

Once he had, and covered himself with the towel he called to her. "Alright, wench, I'm out!" He watched as she lay out a sheet she had brought and told him to sit on it. She toweled off his upper half before proceeding to add antiseptic and bandages where needed. He ended up with his whole torso wrapped in white as it was the only way to fully cover the wounds on his back and chest. Thankfully she hadn't felt that any needed stitching, but the wider ones she had held closed with steri-strips. All the while, Kagome felt Sesshoumaru's eyes on her and she started to wonder what in the hell was so interesting.

"Okay, Inuyasha you're all done. Where are your pants, anyway?"

"The monk took them. Said he would have Sango wash them. I think he just wanted me to be stuck here naked." Inuyasha was relieved to finally be done.

"Well then go on back to camp with the towel on. I have more." He turned and looked at her like she was crazy. "Go on now! It's gonna take me just as long on your brother and you know you don't want to wait. Ask Sango to make you some ramen. Oh, wait. What about you, Sesshoumaru? Your pants were ruined."

"Inuyasha, please tell Jaken to give a new set of clothes to Kazue to bring back. He will know where they are."

Inuyasha grumbled but did as he was told. After all, he was no longer in charge so he couldn't order Kagome around unless Sesshoumaru gave him permission or left him in charge temporarily. He didn't like leaving her alone with his brother. He still didn't trust him and he was sure he was up to something and that something had to do with her. Kazue followed after the hanyou as he stomped back to camp. Suddenly Kagome realized that she was now completely alone with a naked Sesshoumaru. Once again bad thoughts flooded her mind but she immediately forced them back down. She needed to get him cleaned up and bandaged. Now was not the time for silly fantasies.

Sesshoumaru was currently thinking the same thing, or at least the first part. He, on the other hand, thought now was a wonderful time for fantasies and he sat, distracted, waiting for her to join him back in the water.

She was getting uncomfortable in the big wet shirt and it had been getting in the way floating around when she had been working on Inuyasha so she decided to ditch it and pulled it over her head, tossing it with a splat to the ground. She then slipped silently into the water and moved in front of Sesshoumaru, taking in his expression which very clearly said 'lost in happy thoughts'. She waited a moment and when he still had not focused on her she decided to get his attention. "Sess-sho-ma-ru," she said in a soft sing-song voice. "Oh, Sess-sho-ma-ru! Are you in there?"

He didn't hear her. He was too busy envisioning her calling his name in an entirely different way. Seeing that she had gotten no response she slid through the water until she was standing **right** in front of him. When he still had not registered her presence she reached out her hand and…poked him. His eyes instantly cleared and then crossed, trying to focus on the index finger still touching the very tip of his nose. "What… exactly… are you doing, Kagome?" He watched as she pulled back her finger and his eyes uncrossed.

"Trying to figure out just where your brain was a minute ago." At her words he was nearly pulled back into his fantasy but he managed to fight it and stay with her. "So, are you ready?" He nodded slowly. "Then come on out here and dunk so I can start getting all this muck out of your beautiful hair." She held out her hand to him and he took it, allowing her to lead him to the center of the spring. At her instruction he turned and slipped under the surface relishing in the feel of her fingers in his hair. When he came up she led him back to the edge as she had his brother. It was then that he noticed her change in apparel. She was no longer covered in the large white shirt but instead only by small swatches of pinkish fabric, leaving the swell of her breasts exposed, as well as her entire stomach, her neck and shoulders, and just about everything else except what the small triangles and strings covered. He wondered just how much her lower half was covered by, as it remained hidden from him by the water.

She sat on the ledge and he sat in front of her, feeling her spread thighs brush his sides slightly which sent a tingle rushing from his skin to spread throughout his entire body. He was **really** going to enjoy this. "I'm gonna do your hair first since your back is pretty good. There's so much of it though, so I'm probably gonna have to do it a couple of times. I can't believe how dirty it is!" She then reached for the bottle and filled her hand with a huge amount of shampoo. As she worked the shampoo through his hair her fingers massaged his scalp causing him to tilt his head back and more into her hands, a purr-like growl escaping him. "Oh, so you like that too, huh?"

"Harder," was all he managed to slip out between purrs. She increased the pressure of her fingertips, running her short fingernails along his scalp. She knew she had done well as the purr increased in volume. She continued to work the lather through, eventually leaving the scalp and moving down the length of his silver locks. After a quick rinse she started again, this time focusing more on the ends which caused her hands and wrists to brush ever so lightly against his back from time to time. While she washed she decided to finally ask him about the fur. "Sesshoumaru, the fur boa thingie you wear, mokomoko you called it, right? What is it?"

It was fairly hard for him to form words while she continued her ministrations but he forced himself to focus for a minute. "Mokomoko is an extension of myself. Being a taiyoukai I have a massive amount of power and it is too much to be contained by this humanoid form." He tilted his head back and purred again for a moment before regaining his focus. "Mokomoko holds the excess youki when I am in this form."

"Oh. Okay. Rinse for me." When he had resurfaced she continued. "But how does it move?"

"It is like another appendage. I can move it as I would an arm or leg even though it is not physically connected to me."

"But it was moving when you weren't paying any attention, during the fight, and then later when I was in the forest."

"It has a mind of its own as well. If I am not controlling it, it can move of its own accord. I assume it was trying to console you when you were upset?"

"Rinse again." She then moved on to the conditioner, running her fingers through the full length of his hair, carefully removing any remaining snags while just taking in the gorgeous silver length. "Yeah, that's what it seemed like. I've never heard of anything like that before."

"There are not many taiyoukai and each has their preferred method of storing their excess youki. It does not have to be like mokomoko. There are many options. Mmmmm." She was humoring him with one more scalp rub and once again he could not hold back the sound of pleasure.

"Alright, now the conditioner is a little harder to rinse so it'll take a bit longer." He slipped under the water and she helped him rinse the slippery goo from his hair.

She then pushed the mass of hair over his right shoulder and gently washed his back as he savored the feel of cloth she held in one hand and her other bare as they both slid softly over his skin starting a whole new set of tingles. She slid out from behind him, more of her tantalizingly soft flesh gliding along his own. She washed his right arm and then his chest, taking extra care over the slashes that lined it. As she reached to wash what remained of his left arm, though, he tensed. Ever since he had lost his arm he had viewed the stump that remained as a constant reminder of his failure. Sensing his discomfort she placed her right hand over his heart and used her left to move his face so he would look at her. "Sesshoumaru?"

He closed his eyes to avoid her gaze but opened them again as her left hand slid up from his chin to the side of his face in one smooth movement. He held her gaze as her fingertips traced the lines that graced his cheek. "There is nothing for you to feel bad about. This," she paused as she moved her right hand from over his heart up to his shoulder and down what remained of his left arm, stopping just above where it did. "This is nothing to be ashamed of, nothing you need to hide. Losing your arm has never slowed you down. And it doesn't make you any less perfect."

His voice was merely a whisper. "Are you saying that you are not disgusted by this?" He motioned towards his left with his right hand which then found a place to rest on the curve of her hip feeling nearly all bare skin interrupted only by a thin strip of fabric that held the bottom piece together.

"Of course not. Why would you think that?"

At hearing her reassuring word his hand slid from her hip around her back pulling her to him through the water until she had spread her legs with her knees resting on either side of his legs and her ass floating just above his knees. He had forgotten, though, about the long, deep cuts Inuyasha had inflicted on his right thigh. He had fought the grimace as her leg brushed his but she had caught it anyway.

"Sesshoumaru, your leg!" She squirmed in his hold, trying to get off of him. "Let me go. I'm hurting you!"

"I refuse. Stop struggling and I will be fine." She stilled and he relaxed, still keeping his hand on the small of her back. "Kagome, did you mean that?"

"Mean what? That your arm doesn't bother me? Of course I mean it. Right now you do not look any less than perfect." She paused for a minute, looking into his eyes. "Oh, except for this." She reached her right hand forward and he watched as her fingertips approached his face. "You've got a cut, right here." She called her healing powers that rose into her index finger which she slid along the imperfection on his left cheek, healing it instantly. Just that small touch was enough and he found himself once again showing appreciation for her powers in his own special way. Thankfully she was sitting far enough back to not have noticed so far.

"That is the only imperfection you see? Do the rest of the wounds not matter?" She failed to notice but he had not, just how comfortable she seemed even in this position and with him completely undressed. Just one more win for his column, one more hint that maybe she would allow him to court her if only he could find some way to ask.

"Not when I'm looking at you like this. Besides, we both know that they will probably all be healed by morning. What I want to know is why you would think your arm was disgusting. What gave you that idea?"

He didn't answer at first, trying to figure out exactly how to word it. Eventually he decided there was no good way and just said it. "There are times when people forget just how strong my hearing is."

"You mean you heard someone say that about your arm? Who would be stupid enough to say anything against you?" Her left hand still continued to stroke his right cheek and her right had moved back down from his face to slide slowly up and down the length of what remained of the cause of the current conversation.

"There are youkai who believe they are as strong as if not stronger than this Sesshoumaru and do not feel the need to watch their words. Others simply believe they are safe from reprisal." He paused, debating whether to continue or not. "Including the bitches that carried my sons." She let out a little gasp and his hand started to gently move up and down her back, fingertips sliding ever so softly. He breathed her in deeply and went on. "This Sesshoumaru overheard the three of them talking about it. They said that they thought it was disgusting, made their skin crawl, and that it made me look weak. It is truly a symbol of my weakness as it is a constant reminder that I was defeated by my little brother."

"Well, I guess it's a good thing their opinions don't matter, right? I don't think it makes you look weak. Yes, it is a reminder of the battle but losing does not make you weak. You are the strongest youkai I have met yet. And you still kick ass without it, right?" She grinned at him. "You did just kick Inuyasha's ass, or were you watching a different fight than I was? You have nothing to be ashamed of. And you don't have to worry about things like that from me, I promise. It doesn't bother me a bit. So, are you alright with me washing your arm then? If you don't want me to I'll understand."

"No, it's fine. Thank you, Kagome, for all your help." He allowed her to wash his arm and then regretfully released her and stood at her request. She very carefully cleaned out the claw marks on his side, trying to keep her eyes from straying to where the water lapped at the curve of his hips which were graced with markings she hadn't seen before, further accenting his perfection. She went back to his chest, this time lathering the soap on her hands before she indulged herself under the guise of cleaning the wounds there once again. She slid her hands over his sculpted chest and stomach, outlining the perfectly formed muscles. It was quickly looking to be one of those moments in life that she never wanted to forget. He too had been enjoying her explorations, reveling in the soft, intimate caress and was disappointed when she stopped.

"Dunk and rinse off for me. Then we have to figure out how I'm going to work on your leg. I need to check those cuts because I have a feeling they are pretty bad." He slipped under the water, this time opening his eyes. They nearly escaped from his head when he saw what covered her bottom half. Then she turned away from him and he almost drowned. He had never seen such an arousing sight in his life as her creamy soft skin barely covered with the small pink triangles of thin fabric that clung tightly to her and left very little to the imagination.

When he came up for air he was coughing, trying to remove the water that he had inhaled in his surprise. She looked at him, worried, but he shook his head. When he could speak again he had to ask. "What is it that you are wearing? This Sesshoumaru has never seen anything quite like it."

She giggled at him. "It's my bathing suit. Girls wear them to swim in my time. I learned pretty quickly that a private bath is very unlikely to happen here, so I got one to wear during my bath. That way, if I'm attacked I don't have to fight or run through the woods naked, or worse be rescued by Inuyasha and Miroku naked. I picked a smaller one so I could wash better. They make ones that cover your whole stomach and back, but that would defeat my purpose. Why? Do you like it?" She knew he did just from the look he had given her, but she just had to ask. She wanted to see what he would say.

He didn't know **what** to say. Yes, he most definitely liked it, but should he tell her that?

She laughed at his delay in answering. "Don't think about it too hard, now. This one is old anyway. I got a new one when I was home last time and I'll be bringing it with me when I come back after exams."

"And will the new one be similar to this one?" Oh, Kami he hoped so. If not maybe she would allow him to do a little altering?

"You'll just have to wait and see. But then, I don't expect us to be sharing baths very often."

"And why not? This Sesshoumaru quite enjoyed you washing my hair. It is difficult to do so myself. Perhaps you would like to take your baths with me from now on?" He had that playful glint in his eyes again and she didn't miss it for a second.

"I don't know. I suppose I could, but what would the others think?" She could barely hold in her giggles. "Not that I mind the view or anything."

"Neither do I." She blushed at this before waving her hand at him. "That's enough now. Down boy!" She giggled even harder as his eyes narrowed. "What? I need to take a look at those cuts on your leg."

Realizing what that would mean, Sesshoumaru immediately tried to get his boy to go down as she had put it. _'Think, think, think! She can't see me like this! Ummm…Naraku… Kikyo…Naraku with Kikyo…Damn it! It's not working! Oh, Jaken! Jaken in a kimono… Jaken naked.' _He shuddered in disgust at the thought._ 'Yeah, that did it. Thank Kami for Jaken naked. Wait, no, I didn't just think that.' _

While he had been doing the equivalent of thinking about baseball she had grabbed her discarded shirt, swishing it around to get the dirt that had clung to the wet fabric off. When she looked back at him he again looked far away, but this time it didn't look like happy thoughts. It looked almost as if he had just bit into a lemon or something. "Sesshoumaru?" When he looked back at her she continued. "Okay, I want you to sit on the edge of the spring there on that towel. Then put this over your…um…yeah. Just use this to cover yourself but keep the wounds as exposed as possible." She handed him the shirt and turned around. He did as she asked; covering what he was blessed with, thanking the Kamis that he had managed to get rid of his arousal while simultaneously begging that it stay that way.

"This Sesshoumaru is ready."

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Thanks goes to **Coffee Flavored Fate** for helping me with the revisions. **You're Awesome!**


	33. Caught with his Pants Down

**Chapter 33 – Caught with his Pants Down**

She needed to be professional here. She was going to be really, really close to Sesshoumaru's umm…his…oh, she was in trouble. She was blushing already and she hadn't even turned around yet. How in the hell was she going to manage this without him noticing? She fought hard to stop the blood flooding her cheeks, but she just couldn't do it.

"Kagome? Are you going to look at the wounds or stand there being embarrassed all day?"

That turned her around quick. "I'm not embarrassed!"

He chuckled at her. "You forget that I can feel your emotions through the mark. I know exactly how embarrassed you are. I also know that you are not only embarrassed." The smirk on his lips let her know exactly what he meant. "Am I mistaken or do you find this Sesshoumaru attractive?"

Her mouth dropped open. "You honestly want to be asking **me** that question? I didn't forget about earlier. You know, before the battle when you were explaining things. Really, I never imagined it would be so easy!" She laughed once again at his look. "Now, you behave yourself." She slid through the water to stand on his right side, first looking at the gashes on the outside of his thigh. "Oh, these are really deep. Steri-strips aren't gonna do it. I'm going to have to sew them together so they'll heal faster." She then steeled her will and moved to look at the nearly identical slices on his inner thigh. "You should count yourself lucky. If he had reached any higher you would be in a **lot** more pain. They go almost all the way up! I'm going to have to stitch these too. Stay here. I'm gonna get the stuff ready."

He watched as she lifted her body from the water, licking his lips as he watched the lucky droplets that rolled down her perfectly flat stomach, disappearing into the fabric of the bottom of her 'bath suit'. When he felt himself stir though he immediately looked away and directed his thoughts to anything but her nearly naked dripping wet gorgeous and perfectly proportioned body. Yeah, he was having a really hard time keeping his eyes and his thoughts off of her. It was hard enough just to keep his hands in line.

She sat next to him on the edge of the spring. "I'm not sure how to have you put your leg so I can do this. Can you put your foot up here or will that make it hurt more." She watched as he twisted his body slightly so he could place his right foot on the ground, his knee bent, forming a perfect isosceles triangle. "Does that hurt?" He shook his head in the negative. "Okay then. Now, I'm going to use this needle," she held up a small curved piece of metal, "And this is a special material made for sewing up wounds. I'm going to do my best not to hurt you, but you're gonna feel some pricks and pulling."

"This Sesshoumaru will manage. You may proceed." He watched her as she began the procedure, not even feeling it as the needle pierced his flesh over and over. Instead he was entranced by the look of concentration on her face. "You have done this before?"

"Yeah, tons of times. Inuyasha is always getting torn up and I've had to sew big gashes on Miroku and Sango before too. I can't sew a button back on to save my life, but give me a gaping flesh wound and it's like I'm a surgeon." She looked up for a second and saw the flicker of confusion. "Surgeons are healers in my time that specialize in things that require opening up the body, like to heal the heart or lungs or something. They also stitch up really bad wounds after repairing the bones, muscles, tendons and stuff. Healing is very advanced in my time. Lots of technology they can use to see inside your body to look for broken bones and stuff. They can even see into your brain without ever touching you. It's really neat. I read a lot of first aid books, which really come in handy."

Silence filled the steamy air for a few minutes until Sesshoumaru asked something that had been bothering him. "How was it that the hanyou convinced you to allow the battle?"

"Hmm? Oh, he didn't. I had been talking to Kazue and had already decided. She explained that you had changed the battle for me, that most battles would end in death or the loser being kicked out of the pack. She is really smart. It'll come in handy to have someone to explain all the demon traditions and stuff to me."

"This Sesshoumaru would be happy to inform you regarding youkai. All you need to do is ask."

"And if it's you I'm trying to interpret?" She fought for a moment as her lips twitched in protest before the smile broke out. "You know you can be very confusing at times, just like Inuyasha. I wonder if it's a dog thing." The look on his face was absolutely priceless and she had to put the needle down she was laughing so hard. "And since when do you make faces? For damn near two years I have seen just two faces, the 'die Inuyasha' face and the 'filthy human' face. And now that I think about it, they are pretty much identical. But now, every time I look at you you're making a different face!"

He knew she was right. He had been doing his best to stay open to her in hopes of her getting to know him better as well as to make him seem less cold. "And what face was I making just now?"

"Just a minute ago? That was what I like to call the 'I can't believe this girl just said that to me' face. And before that you almost looked nervous or something! Okay, okay. I'm almost done on this side, so don't make me laugh again or I can't work!"

Sesshoumaru let out a characteristic "Hn," before falling silent again.

When she had finished with the outside she looked at him with a bright red blush on her cheeks. "I have to work on the inside now. Can you keep your leg like that or is it getting stiff?" As soon as the words left her lips she froze while looking straight into his eyes.

"Kami, Kagome. What is it with you? First at breakfast and now here? If you really want to know you could always check for yourself." He was stunned for a second when she smacked his shoulder, before he smirked while making his 'it is so much fun to embarrass the miko' face.

"And what would you have done if I called your bluff, reached out, and treated myself to a nice long feel, eh? I bet you would have fallen over in a dead faint!" Kagome thought she had gotten the last word. She hadn't.

She had set herself up perfectly and he couldn't resist. "If you consider it such a treat then feel free and feel all you like. Who am I to deny your pleasure? And I can assure you it would most definitely be a **long** feel." Her face turned so red he doubted there was any blood left in the rest of her body. "What's the matter, Kagome? Did you change your mind?"

She had to think fast. He couldn't get the last word in! "Sorry to disappoint you. I know how much you would have enjoyed it." She paused for a moment. "And if you keep picking on me I'm going to reach up and purify the first thing I find." Sesshoumaru fell silent. No matter how much her power turned him on it would be counterproductive if she were to use said sexy power to purify that which most appreciated it. "That's what I thought. Now sit still and I'm going to start."

Even with the pain of the wound and the odd sensation of her pulling at his skin he still managed to find unending enjoyment from her hands touching his inner thigh so softly. Her hands were so close, so close! Hell, all of her was close. She was standing back in the water now and her entire body was between his legs. She leaned against his left leg while stitching the right. For a moment he thought the Kamis had abandoned him when his body began to react, but fortunately it had been avoided. Unfortunately, though, was what had broken his concentration and thus saved him some embarrassment.

His whole body tensed as he sensed the demon's presence. Kazue rose from her resting place. Kagome, though, failed to notice as she continued stitching, having been forcing herself to concentrate only on the wound and not where it or she was. She did notice, however, when Kazue transformed and the demon spoke.

"My, my, my. Now this was definitely not what I had expected to find. I had been hoping to find the little miko alone and unprotected. But this! I must say, Kagome, how did you manage this? Oh, and who is your new pet?" Kagura slowly landed her feather on the opposite side of the hot spring, stepping off and replacing its shrunken form in her hair. She held her fan in her hand but it remained closed.

"Kagura," Kagome whispered before she slowly turned to face the wind witch. Any thoughts of blushing had fled as soon as they appeared. If Kagura was here, then swarms of demons and Naraku puppets were sure to pop up soon.

"Explain your presence before this Sesshoumaru forcibly ends it." He lowered a claw and cut the thread still connected to his leg where Kagome had stopped sewing the wound. The needle was still held in her hand, but she felt the thread go slack. He hadn't moved otherwise, still sitting on the edge of the spring with his foot planted firmly, knee in the air. Kazue took the cue and stayed motionless but ready.

"Oh, was now a bad time? I suppose I could come back later." Her voice was sarcastic as she glared at the two. "I did not come to fight. I actually come to see if the miko knew of **your** whereabouts, Lord Sesshoumaru. But I can see that she has **intimate** knowledge."

"It would do you well to cease your useless prattling and quickly get to the point." He didn't want to have to fight Kagura at the moment. He wanted to go back to Kagome's head and her attention being ever so nicely placed between his legs. Besides, if he had to fight he would have to fight naked, and while it would not slow him down he was sure it would embarrass the woman he was trying to keep close and comfortable.

"Fine, spoilsport. I was searching for you to assist you in your revenge against Naraku."

"And why would this Sesshoumaru have need of **your** assistance?"

"To lead you to him of course."

"Like we're going to believe you! You work for Naraku, or did you forget?" Kagome was getting frustrated at the situation. Both she and the demon lord were in vulnerable positions at the moment.

"I can assure you, miko, that I do not do so willingly."

"Right, of course. And then you lead us into another one of his traps. He's probably watching us right now with the mirror that creepy little girl carries. Sorry, but I don't think we're going to fall for it this time."

"She's dead," Kagura whispered.

"What did you say?" Kagome wasn't sure if she had heard correctly.

"I said she's dead. Naraku broke her mirror. He saw that you had reunited with your friends, he got angry, and he threw the stupid thing at the wall! And then he killed her!" Kagura was somewhere between yelling and sobbing, but she was managing to mostly hold back her tears. "I want you to kill him, Lord Sesshoumaru. I know you said before that you had no reason to be involved, but you do now. Naraku was the one who cursed your sons along with the help of Kikyo. I know you killed her, but he still lives and continues to plot. He rejoiced over their…"

Kagura's words were stopped in her throat as at that very moment Inuyasha and seven young inus that looked amazingly similar to Sesshoumaru crashed into the clearing nearly knocking Kazue into the spring. She had only avoided the water by taking to the sky. She looped around the clearing and landed closer to Kagome. Inuyasha took in the situation for a moment. "Fuck! I knew you were up to something you bastard! Kagome, what the hell?"

"Inuyasha! What is wrong with you! I was just stitching the claw marks **you** left behind. Before Kagura showed up that is." She had started out yelling but ended with a more normal tone and a tilt of her head which served it purpose to draw his attention back to where it belonged.

"What the fuck do you want, Kagura?" He growled out her name as he pulled his sword.

The pups had also quickly taken in the situation, but they actually paid attention. Within moments they reached the edge of the spring and Yoshi pull Kagome effortlessly from the water, placing himself and his brothers between her and the threat. Mokomoko immediately wound up her body, effectively covering most of her. Since Kagome was now out of harms way, Sesshoumaru rose, still holding the wet shirt in front of him. Shinji and Hitoshi moved in front of him as he swiftly put his new pants on. All the while Kagura was watching, shocked.

"They're…they're alive!"

"What the fuck are you talking about, bitch?" Inuyasha had no idea what was going on but he knew Kagura was dangerous. That was all he cared about at the moment.

"How…how did you? You couldn't possibly have…"

"Saved them? Why, yes Kagura. They are alive, are they not? Apparently Naraku underestimated the power of the Shikon Miko."

"Kagome saved them?" Her voice was still low.

"Are you gonna fight, bitch, or stand there and gawk?" Even though he was still injured, Inuyasha was aching for a fight. Anything to work out the frustration he was chock full of.

"This Sesshoumaru had no intention of trusting one such as you. As I said before, if you want him dead so badly, do it yourself."

"But…but don't you want revenge?" She was too shocked by the presence of his sons alive and well to do much more than whisper.

"This Sesshoumaru shall have his revenge on his own terms. You would do well to remember that. And you would also do well to know that the miko is now under the protection of this Sesshoumaru. Should you attempt to approach her again I will not be so kind. Perhaps you should be returning to your master to tell him the news of his failure?"

Inuyasha turned to look at his brother in shock. "You're just gonna let her go? Are you fucking crazy?"

Sesshoumaru shot him a threatening look. "Do you question the authority of this Sesshoumaru?" He watched as the hanyou's ears flattened to his head and he sheathed his sword before turning to look once more at the wind witch. "Tell Naraku that he has failed pitifully once again. This Sesshoumaru is surprised he has survived this long with such incompetence."

Kagura took the hint, pulled out a feather and took to the air. Before she flew away, however, she called out to the group. "When you're ready to believe me I will lead you to him. Until then watch for the bees. They are his only eyes now that Kanna is gone."

In seconds she had disappeared and the group slowly relaxed. A minute later Miroku and Sango burst into the clearing, having left Shippo, Jaken, Ah Un, and Kirara to protect Rin if necessary. "Did we miss it?" Sango managed to get out between heavy breaths. They had been running fast!

"She's gone. It's over." Kagome looked around at them all for a moment. "Now everyone get out of here! I'm not done stitching Sesshoumaru's wounds!" Everyone looked at her oddly. "What? Go on! Get!" Inuyasha grumbled but turned to leave, smacking the monk upside the head on the way by as he had been staring at Kagome since he had arrived in an attempt to determine what she was wearing under all that fur. Sango grabbed the monk by the robes and launched into a lecture while dragging him behind her while he tried to keep up. He knew if he fell she would continue to pull him and he doubted she would watch out for thorn bushes. The pups merely shook their heads and smiled before leaving too. Kazue returned to her smaller form and her nap, leaving the demon lord and the miko once again alone.

"Well that was certainly interesting. She just couldn't have waited five minutes for me to finish!" Kagome broke down laughing and nearly stumbled, being caught in the strong arm of Sesshoumaru. "And she thought! Ha! And then Inuyasha! Oh my Kami. Only me. That could only happen to me!" She continued laughing, barely even noticing that she was once again being held by a certain demon. When her laughing had finally calmed and she was able to breathe again she looked up at him. "Come on, now. Pants down! Let's finish so I can wrap your leg up and move on."

He lifted a brow at her words. "Did you just order this Sesshoumaru to drop his pants?" She looked at him for a moment, trying to hold it in, but the laughter overcame her once more. This time he joined in, letting out a few chuckles. "Well, if it means that much to you." He reached for the waist of his pants.

"Wait! Let me turn around! Here, don't forget to cover yourself!" She was blushing uncontrollably again as she looked off into the trees while unwinding the fur that covered her. When he was settled he sat and she returned to the water once more to finish her task. "Damn it! You pulled out all the ones I was working on. I didn't get to tie it off. Stay still." She huffed for a moment in her frustration before she resumed her task, finishing quickly just in case of further distractions. "Alright, now I'm gonna wrap this whole area with bandages and I'll have to check it tomorrow. Hopefully they'll have all healed together nicely and I can take out the stitches."

She proceeded to bandage the leg before turning away once more while he covered himself. She looked over the rest of his wounds. Most of the smaller ones were already gone, and just the cuts on his chest and side remained. She expertly added antiseptic cream and covered the areas with bandages. His wounds weren't bad enough to require a full chest wrap. She watched, then, as he finished dressing minus armor, draping mokomoko over his shoulder as usual, before she gathered her things and they headed back to camp.

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Thanks goes to **Coffee Flavored Fate** for helping me with the revisions. **You're Awesome!**


	34. Kagome Gets A Clue, Inu Learns a Lesson

**Chapter 34 – Kagome Gets a Clue, Inuyasha Learns a Lesson**

"Oh, thank goodness my Lord! This Jaken was so worried for you, alone with the miko! And then these idiots forced me to remain here with Rin and the kit or I would have rushed to your aide Mi'Lord!"

Sesshoumaru looked down at the fully prostrated toad while trying his best to not imaging him naked. He didn't think he could handle that again. Holding back a shudder at the very thought he spoke. "And what exactly, Jaken, did you worry the miko would do to this Sesshoumaru?" His face held a smirk then. Not only had he succeeded and Jaken was in fact wearing all his clothing but he was already making a fool of himself and they had just returned. The toad just didn't get it. He could not see past his illusions of the demon lord to see the actual demon himself. While he could think of several things he wouldn't mind the miko doing to him, he was certain that none of them were quite what Jaken was so worked up about.

"Mi'Lord, could this humble Jaken speak to you in private?" His head lifted and huge yellow eyes scanned the camp, glaring at everyone but his young Lords. He didn't dare. "It is very important, Lord Sesshoumaru."

The demon lord looked to the miko who merely shrugged at him. 'Why not humor him and see what he wants? It can't hurt.' Sesshoumaru nodded at her before his gaze returned to the still kneeling demon, if you can even call him that.

"Fine. We will speak in private." He walked away, leaving Jaken to jump up and race after him. His little legs could barely keep up with the slow but long strides of the inu taiyoukai. When they had reached an area a fair distance away from the camp he stopped. Jaken nearly ran into the backs of his legs before realizing he had stopped walking. "What is it Jaken? What is so important that we had to speak alone?"

"My Lord! I am certain the miko is up to something!"

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "Up to something?" he repeated.

"Yes my Lord. This Jaken noticed it as soon as she had arrived at the palace. I believe that she may have placed a spell on you." The little kappa nearly soiled his robes at the snarl his Lord released. Perhaps alone was not the best choice.

"You believe the miko has placed…a spell…on this Sesshoumaru?" He fought the urge to kick the annoying little servant across the entire island of Japan. "And why do you believe such foolishness?"

"Lord…Sesshoumaru?" Jaken was suddenly realizing the stupidity of his words. If she had placed a spell then his Lord would not know and could possibly be forced to injure his person in response to his words. And if she hadn't, which he had never even considered, then he would be questioning his Lord's strength and power to suggest such a thing.

"Answer Jaken. I will not repeat myself."

"Well, you see… this lowly Jaken has noticed odd behavior from My Lord since she arrived. My Lord, you would never have slept beside a human by choice! And to join the hanyou's pack? Unimaginable!" Jaken had forgotten his fear now that he found the opportunity to vent his worries. Once he opened his mouth his thoughts spilled out without further thought to their implications. "The Lord Sesshoumaru I know would have killed the miko for daring to defile the pure blood of his pups with her mark! And he would never allow her to touch him, let alone treat wounds!"

"Is that so? Jaken, I will only say this once. The miko has not placed a spell upon this Sesshoumaru. You will cease your disrespect of Kagome this instant. She is the alpha female and you will treat her as such. Believe it or not Jaken, but this Sesshoumaru is planning on asking the miko to be his mate, so you would do well to get accustomed to her presence."

Jaken gasped loudly at this. "But My Lord?"

Sesshoumaru stopped his words by raising his hand. "The miko will be your Lady. Lady of the Western Lands, mate to this Sesshoumaru. She is to be respected. You will treat her as you do me or you will pay the consequences. I do not want to hear this foolishness again."

Jaken looked near tears. "Yes, Mi'Lord," he whispered. How was this possible? How had this happened? His Great Lord Sesshoumaru and a human miko? How had it come to this?

"Is it really that bad, Jaken?" Sesshoumaru looked down at the kappa that had followed him loyally for years. Though the little creature could be annoying, was annoying most of the time really, he was useful and had served him well. He didn't want to have to kill him, but if he kept insulting Kagome he would have to.

Jaken looked at him in shock. Did his lord just ask him a question as if he actually cared about the answer? Sesshoumaru was looking back down at him, waiting for a response.

"No, Mi'lord. I…I suppose not. But how, how did this happen?" He spoke low, suddenly afraid he was out of line, as if he hadn't been for the last few minutes already.

"This Sesshoumaru's beast chose long ago and I agree. Only recently have I accepted it and begun to listen to him, as well as remember the words of my mother. Jaken, I know this seems odd to you but this Sesshoumaru has loved the miko for some time now and I would appreciate your help and support. My sons, Rin, and the kit all approve and plan on assisting me. You have been with me for a long time now. I would hate to have to kill you." Jaken had been looking at him with his eyes nearly falling out but as he said his last words the Lord let a smirk appear on his face and the toad fell over in shock, fainting. Sesshoumaru only chuckled and sat down to wait.

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After the demon lord left the area Sango came over to sit beside Kagome who was once again digging through the enormous bags of supplies. "Kagome?"

"Yeah, Sango? What's up?"

"Is something going on with you and Sesshoumaru?" she whispered while glancing around the camp hoping no one had heard.

"Sango! Shhh! Demon ears!"

"Sorry, I just haven't gotten to talk to you for a long time now and weird stuff keeps happening."

"Tell me about it! First he actually asks me for help and it just gets weirder from there. You wanna take a walk?" Sango nodded and they rose and walked off in the opposite direction than Sesshoumaru and Jaken had gone in. Kazue and Kirara followed a little ways behind them, side by side. Kagome glanced back before giggling.

"What's so funny, Kagome?"

"It's just…cats and dogs! I guess they're wrong when they say cats and dogs don't get along. Look!" She pointed behind her and Sango looked before smiling.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. It looks like Kirara made a friend. Now spill! Tell me everything."

"Hang on a second." Kagome extended her senses and said a "sit" just for good measure. When no crash or cursing was heard and she was sure they were alone she began. "You remember how I said we could share thoughts while I was unconscious. We shared dreams too. Two actually. The first one, I was sure I was going to die and made him promise to take messages to all of you. He nearly begged me to fight and hold on. Then the next dream, he kissed me!"

Sango gasped. "He what?"

"I know! And then I woke up and I was in a big fancy bed with all the boys in their dog forms lying in front of me and an arm wrapped around me."

"No! And it was him?"

"Yeah, he had been sleeping holding me. Buried his nose in my hair and everything. Then he basically flirted with me the whole time I was there! And he's so different, Sango. He isn't anything like I thought! He's sweet and funny and playful! And quick too. He has a comeback for everything! When I was in his study looking at a map he leaned into me and licked my ear! Can you believe it?" She looked and Sango who merely shook her head. "And then after the fight with Kouga his blood beast let me treat his arm and then I held him and actually touched his cheek and ear. His skin is soft!"

"You did what? Oh, my Kami, Kagome! He could have killed you!"

"I don't know how, but I knew he wouldn't hurt me. No, he actually purred! And when his beast calmed and he regained control he wanted me to continue! He wanted me to pet him!" They both broke down into giggles. "And then at the spring he was flirting with me again. And then of course Kagura shows up while my head is between his legs."

"Kagome!"

"No! No! I was stitching the big gouges that Inuyasha left on both sides of his thighs. He really sunk his claws in deep. Of course, she thought that too, and then Inuyasha and the boys burst in and he thinks the same thing too! It was so embarrassing! And what's worse, I'm going to have to check tomorrow and probably take out the stitches. And they go **all** the way up." Kagome watched as Sango turned red. "I don't know what is up with him, really. I mean, why in the world would he flirt with **me**?" 

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Kouga had finally finished explaining the situation to Ginta and Hakaku. It had taken him a while to get them to stop laughing when he first told them his suspicion of Sesshoumaru wanting his Kagome. When they had finally run out of breath he told them why he suspected it and eventually they began to agree that perhaps Lord Sesshoumaru did hold some interest in their pack sister, as unlikely as it sounded. Hakaku secretly hoped Sesshoumaru really did like the miko. Perhaps then Kouga would give up his useless obsession with her and move on. No matter how many times Kagome tried to tell him she wasn't interested he never got it. Kouga was his friend, of course, but sometimes he couldn't believe how dense the wolf prince was.

When Kouga then asked them to help him come up with some way to stay close and protect his claim both wolves were hesitant. The Western Lord was powerful and vicious. He would not hesitate to kill Kouga if he interfered. But Kouga was their alpha so they couldn't very well tell him it wasn't a good idea. After some thinking Ginta finally spoke. "We could always travel with her group. Inuyasha might not like it but Kagome would surely let us."

"We could say that we want to be there when they fight Naraku. And offer help in collecting the shards. That might convince the hanyou. He **is** always talking about the jewel," Hakaku added.

Kouga thought it over for a moment. "That's a perfect idea. We'll take some of the pack to help in the fighting and to protect Kagome. I'll have to leave someone in charge. I assume you two would want to come with me?"

"It would be nice to spend some time with sister," Hakaku said and Ginta nodded his agreement.

"Then it's settled. We'll get everything set up for the pack while were gone and then we will travel with my Kagome until either Naraku is defeated or she agrees to come back to the den with us and be my mate."

The two wolf demons looked at each other, both shaking their heads. Kouga would never learn.

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When Jaken finally began to stir Sesshoumaru rose. "Come along, Jaken. We will return to camp. But first this Sesshoumaru wishes to test something."

Jaken jumped to his feet. "Mi'Lord? You didn't leave me?"

The demon lord let out a sigh. "No, Jaken, I did not leave you. Am I right to believe that the issue is settled permanently?"

"Yes, Mi'Lord. Of course, Mi'Lord. This lowly Jaken will treat the miko Kagome with respect as she is as deserving of it as yourself."

"Good. Now let's go. We have wasted enough time." Sesshoumaru turned and walked away, Jaken following close behind.

He knew not to speak. His lord appeared to be deep in thought. He was surprised, though, when they stopped in the clearing that held the well they had camped near. He looked at Sesshoumaru in confusion but was shocked when the taiyoukai walked straight to the well and jumped in. "My Lord! My Lord, are you alright?" The little toad looked over the edge, being careful not to fall in himself.

Sesshoumaru simply stood at the bottom of the well looking up. When he heard Jaken's calls he was sure nothing had happened. Well, something had happened, but not what he had intended. The well refused to work for him despite his connection with Kagome. She had been right. When he landed, though, pain had shot through his right leg and he could already feel the warmth of his blood seeping into the carefully placed bandages. He had reopened his wounds, probably tearing the stitches she had worked so diligently on for him. She was definitely going to be upset if she found out but he couldn't think of a way to avoid it. She had already told him she would check them tomorrow so he could not hide them from her. Hearing Jaken getting more and more upset he leapt back out of the well, landing beside his faithful retainer.

"Lord Sesshoumaru! You are safe! This Jaken was worried! Why did you jump into a well?"

Sesshoumaru merely looked at the toad. He didn't intend on answering his question. "We will return to camp now." He then turned and walked away, doing his best to ignore the now searing pain in his leg. He had most definitely caused more damage.

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Sango looked over at Kagome. Sometimes her friend was just too naïve for her own good. "I don't know, Kagome. Maybe he **likes** you?"

"No, it **can't** be that. He doesn't like humans, remember?"

"Well I guess you haven't seen that way he looks at you then, or you wouldn't think that. He must not hate humans too much since he insisted on joining our group. And the mark, too. Marking you was no small deal. It's forever and he chose to do it anyway. And do you know why he put it there?"

"I don't know. I asked where and he told me. Why? Does it matter?"

"It's just…it's not a normal place is all. Maybe he wanted to put his mark near your heart?"

"You really think so?"

"Kagome, some of the looks he gives you, I'm surprised you haven't burst into flames from the heat! Oh, and what was going on earlier when he was explaining the battle? Why did he stop talking like that? And what was Inuyasha growling at?"

It was Kagome's turn to blush. "Well, you see…he had his hand over my mouth, right. And I wanted him to let go, so I licked him." Sango shot her a look. "And he made the funniest face, so I did it again. And then when he was picking on Inuyasha I did it again, only more. And apparently…he liked it. A lot."

"You mean?" Sango was blushing again. "Yeah, and I guess Inuyasha sensed it. When he growled he startled me which seemed to break Sesshoumaru out of his little trance and that's when I noticed. I blocked it so you guys couldn't see. It was so funny!"

"Yeah, I think it's pretty clear then. He likes you. If his beast allowed you to touch him like that, that means his beast approves of you. In lots of demons it is the blood beast who chooses the mate. I think maybe his beast picked you."

"He did say that his beast has a soft spot for me." Kagome paused for a minute. "And that he did too." The last was a whisper as she finally added it all up. "Oh My Kami! He likes me? Oh, Inuyasha is gonna flip!"

"And that explains why he attacked Kouga too. The beast saw Kouga as a competitor, someone who might challenge his claim."

"Claim?" Kagome was confused, not knowing much about demon traditions and nothing about demon mating.

"Kouga claims you as his woman. If Sesshoumaru wants you too, then either you reject one and choose the other or they fight. A courting challenge. I bet he's trying to figure out how to ask you."

"Ask me?"

"If he can court you. He seems like the formal type. I bet he would follow all the steps. He is a Lord after all. Oh, Kagome! If you mate him you would be Lady of the West!"

"Oh, Kami. And his pups wanted to call me their Mother. And Shippo is suddenly getting along with them all. When we were at the palace there was a definite tension between them. They're all in on it, aren't they?"

"Probably." Sango watched as Kagome sat down on the forest floor. "What's wrong, Kagome? Do you not like him?"

"I don't know. I…I don't really know him. It's just too weird. To think that the same demon who tried to melt me wants to mate me? I'm going to have to think about this."

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"Inuyasha, it seems that you are upset about something. Did Sango and I miss something at the spring?"

"Keh! Leave it alone Monk!"

"So something did happen. Come on, spill. You know right now Kagome is telling Sango, and my dear Sango will surely tell me so you might as well save her the trouble."

Inuyasha growled. "She was alone with him naked!"

Miroku's eyes got wider. "Kagome was naked?"

"No, you damn pervert. Sesshoumaru was naked, sitting on the edge of the spring with one leg up on the side and Kagome was in the water between his damn legs!"

The lecherous grin that had already been present on the monk's face grew wider. "Was she now? And what, exactly, was she doing there? Spare me no detail!"

"I don't fucking know. (groooowwwwlll) Her and that bastard sent me away. I didn't want to leave her alone with him but I didn't have a fucking choice. And then I rush in to save the wench and see her there! She said she was stitching his wounds but I don't know if I believe her. She looked awfully embarrassed, guilty even, like she'd been caught."

"Inuyasha, I do not believe that Kagome would do such a thing. Perhaps she was merely embarrassed because of what it may have looked like?" Miroku, no matter how dirty his mind, could not imagine Kagome in such a compromising position. And he had really tried hard too!

"I suppose, but damnit, I know he's up to something! He's been sniffing around her since she showed up and I don't like it!"

"Why does it bother you so much, Inuyasha? You have made it perfectly clear time and again that you are not interested in Kagome that way. Would it be so bad if your brother was? Surely he would be a better choice than Kouga. I personally cannot think of another so well suited to keep her safe and happy. He would definitely be able to provide for her and I do not believe that he would hurt her. He is an honorable demon after all."

"Did Sango finally break your brain or something? He's fucking dangerous. And I don't care what he says. Pack means nothing to him. Honor is a joke to that asshole. He would drop her in a second if something better showed up or if things got tough. And why would he want her anyway? No, there has to be something he wants, and it's not her. The bastard has probably decided he wants the fucking jewel!" Inuyasha had once again allowed his mouth to get him into trouble. Sesshoumaru had approached while he had been ranting to Miroku, completely oblivious to his surroundings. The monk, though, had spotted the demon lord now standing directly behind his hanyou friend. Apparently it showed on his face as Inuyasha turned slowly, finding his brother looking at him with a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

Sesshoumaru had heard everything since Inuyasha declared that he had been 'sniffing around' the miko, and he was not at all pleased. "Pack, brother, and honor both mean a great deal to this Sesshoumaru, and I have no need or use for the jewel you covet so. There are obviously some things you have yet to learn. Paying attention to your surroundings is definitely one of them."

Inuyasha stood and faced his elder brother. "Keh. Fuck off!"

"But I have yet to finish, Inuyasha. And you **will** listen. Another thing you would do well to learn is that your friend the monk is a much better judge of character than yourself. This Sesshoumaru would never 'drop' the miko. And do you think so little of her that she would not be worthy of my attentions? She is a beautiful woman and powerful as well. But since you do not have an interest in her then you **will** keep your comments to yourself about my own. I do, in fact, desire the miko and I intend to ask for her permission to court her. If you cannot control your mouth, perhaps you should leave until you can."

"You can't make me leave! You promised, you bastard! Or does your word mean nothing too?" Inuyasha quickly found himself on the receiving end of a vicious punch to the left side of his face. He was pretty sure he felt something break and as he tried to open his mouth his suspicion was confirmed. It wasn't going to happen. Something was definitely broken, and it hurt like a bitch too!

"I did not order you to leave, merely gave you the option so that you would have time to learn to keep your mouth shut. But perhaps a broken jaw will be more effective. You do seem to understand actions much better than words." He watched as Inuyasha leapt into a tree while holding the side of his face in his hand. He would heal in a day or two, but the lesson would remain much longer. "Monk?" Miroku looked up at him from his seated position. "Where are the women?"

Miroku hesitated for a moment before speaking. "The…they went…for a walk. Girl talk, I believe. Both Kirara and Kazue accompanied them and I expect they should return shortly." He paused while trying to get up the nerve to ask his question. "Lord Sesshoumaru…do you really intend to court Kagome?"

He looked down at the monk. "Yes, I do. And you would do well to not mention it to her or the slayer."

"Y…yes. Of course!" Miroku knew better than to cross the demon lord. If he had been on the receiving end of that punch he would be unconscious and unable to eat for weeks. Not his idea of fun. He rather liked eating and being able to talk as well.

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"Kagome... I just thought of something. When you said you don't really know him. But you do, too. You've known him for almost two years. Think about it. He could be considered known but unknown."

Kagome's eyes got wider. "You don't think…?"

"I most certainly think. And if he has had feelings for you all this time but never acted on it 'til recently he would have accepted his place!"

"Oh, no. You might be right. Sango, you can't tell anyone this, okay? I don't care what Miroku does to you. No telling. I'm going to have to talk to Kaede."

"You know, Miroku could probably help you, with the prophecy I mean. He could help you figure out if it fits."

"Shit!"

"What? What's wrong?"

"I just remembered something my grandfather said. He wouldn't tell me who Sakimitama was but he said to keep an open mind…and that…first impressions aren't everything. I think you're right Sango. I wonder if he figured it out too."

"So what are you going to do?"

"Nothing. I'm not going to do anything. I mean, I don't really know how I feel about him, and what if we're wrong and I said or did something? No, I'm just gonna wait and see."

"Alright. But I still think I'm right." Kirara mewed her agreement and Kazue let out a little woof.

Kagome looked at Kazue for a moment. 'What do you know, Kazue?'

'Nothing, my lady. Nothing more than you do for sure.'

'But what do you think?'

'I think your friend is very observant.'

"Kagome?" Kagome jumped and looked back to Sango.

"What?"

"Are you okay? You were just staring at Kazue and she was staring back. It was odd. Come to think of it, you've done it before. With Sesshoumaru too."

Kagome rushed to change the subject. "Come on Sango, we should head back. It's getting dark and I'm sure Inuyasha is starving by now." Sango gave her a suspicious look but let it go and they walked back to the camp in silence.

When they arrived Kagome smiled at Miroku and the children. Sesshoumaru noticed, though, that she avoided making eye contact with him. He could feel that she was nervous and confused, but about what? What was bothering her so?

She plucked some ramen out of the bundles and started a pot of water to boil over the fire. "Inuyasha? Are you hungry?" She called out to him, knowing he was in the trees above her head. He didn't answer. "Inuyasha, come down here, please?" Still no response. "Come on, don't make me say it! You're already injured enough as it is!" That got him and he leapt down from his perch, landing in front of her. She took one look at him and gasped. The whole left side of his face was swollen and purple. "What happened to you?!?! Oh, my kami, come here. Let me get a cold pack for you." She grabbed his hand and pulled him along, not giving him a choice. Once she found the instant cold packs she had packed she broke the little pack inside and kneaded it until it was ready. Grabbing a washcloth she wrapped it and held it gently to the side of his face. He grimaced as it touched him. "What happened, Inuyasha? Who did this to you?"

Everyone in the clearing had been silent, everyone but Sango knowing exactly what had happened to the hanyou. Sesshoumaru had not expected her to get so upset, but then he knew she cared about his brother. Perhaps he shouldn't have hit him so hard. Inuyasha looked into Kagome's eyes, begging her to understand that he couldn't open his mouth to answer her. Instead he turned and glared at his elder brother.

"Sesshoumaru? Did you do this to him?" Her voice was disbelieving and he didn't know quite how to answer her. If he simply said yes he doubted she would allow him to explain, but then how exactly could he explain anyway without telling her of his intent. She watched as he hesitated. "You did, didn't you?" She turned away, no longer in the mood to look at him. All feelings of nervousness and confusion had moved to anger. "Sango, can you finish the ramen for me?" Sango nodded and Kagome led Inuyasha to where her sleeping bag was laid out. She sat and he followed before she encouraged him to lay his head in her lap so she could keep the cold pack in place.

Sesshoumaru started to move towards her but the way she looked at him stopped him in his tracks. 'I don't even want to know. I don't care what your reason is. This is just too much. You broke his jaw!' He backed away and sat across the clearing, watching her intently as she cared for his brother. Inuyasha had a smug look on his face, or at least as smug as he could muster with a busted jaw. Even if he did end up hurt, he had hurt his brother worse. Kagome was damn good at holding a grudge.


	35. Confessions and Kisses

**Chapter 35 – Confessions and Kisses**

Miroku had followed the silent exchange between the miko and the demon lord and decided to get involved. If he didn't, it was possible for Kagome to remain angry with Sesshoumaru for days, maybe even weeks. The girl could hold a grudge when it came to someone hurting her friends. He rose from his seat, crossing the clearing and sitting beside Kagome. She turned and looked at him, a less than pleased expression on her pretty face. "What do you want, Miroku? I'm sure you can see I'm not in the mood."

"I only wish to help, Kagome. I witnessed the exchange you asked about. Even if Inuyasha could speak I doubt that he would tell you honestly what occurred." Inuyasha shot a threatening look at the monk but it was too late. Kagome was intrigued.

"Oh really? What really happened then? And why would he not tell me?"

Miroku looked down at the hanyou. "I am sorry, Inuyasha, but I do believe you deserved exactly what you got. Okay, maybe a tad bit more, but still, you should have known better." Inuyasha made a point to look away. He knew he was in trouble. "Inuyasha and I were speaking and he said some things that were less than kind and Lord Sesshoumaru had returned without his noticing. He had heard what Inuyasha said and confronted him. Inuyasha continued to be rude and Lord Sesshoumaru hit him. Personally, I would not have expected less."

"Oh, really now? What exactly was Inuyasha saying that upset Sesshoumaru so much?"

Miroku gave her a pleading look. "I am sorry Kagome, but I can't say."

"That bad, huh?" Miroku nodded at her. She looked at the hanyou in her lap and then at the demon lord across the clearing, catching his eyes. 'Is that right? What Miroku said?' He gave her a small nod. "Oh." She stood, dropping Inuyasha's head a little less than gently. "I see. Well then I guess you can take your ass back up to your branch. I thought you were going to think before you spoke, Inuyasha, and try to be nicer. You're just going to have to take care of yourself at least until you can tell me what it was you said. I won't make anyone else tell me. I believe Miroku." She then turned to the monk. "Thank you, Miroku, for telling me the truth." She then walked across the clearing and sat to the right of a now smirking demon lord.

Inuyasha glanced at her for a moment before leaping back into his tree, remembering to take the cold pack with him. It was actually helping a bit. He could not believe that she had switched sides so quickly! One minute she was holding him and taking care of him and the next she dropped his damn head on the ground! Damn that monk! If he wasn't so sure she would stop him he would kick the fucker's ass! Once more they betrayed him in favor of his brother. Had the whole world suddenly lost its mind? Was he the only sane one left?

Sesshoumaru, unlike his brother, was quite happy. She had not only turned on his brother but then came over to sit beside him. Her scent surrounded him once more, soothing his nerves and his very soul. "Kagome, are you still angry with this Sesshoumaru?"

She looked at him for a minute. "No. No, I'm sorry. I should have let you explain. I know how he can be and sometimes I want to punch him too. You wouldn't be interested in telling me just what he said, would you?" He just looked at her. "Yeah, I figured as much. Really, who are you trying to protect? Me or him? Or you? Never mind, don't answer that. I said I wasn't going to make anyone tell me. So, you hungry?" She smiled at him before rising to help Sango dish out the now ready noodles. "Hey, you guys hungry or what?" She called to the children who had been watching from the sidelines. They all jumped up and rushed over. They were definitely hungry. She handed each a bowl and chopsticks and watched as they sat in a small semi circle around where she had sat and Sesshoumaru was still sitting. Sango took a bowl to Miroku and Kagome made one for Jaken who looked surprised when she handed it to him. "What's the matter? Are you not hungry?"

The toad demon looked up at her. "N..no, Lady Kagome. This Jaken thanks you very much."

"No problem. Let me know if you want seconds." He looked after her with a dazed expression on his face. No one had ever been so kind to him. She had not only remembered him but cared enough to bring the food to him. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all. Once he had finally snapped out of his daze he started to eat. Kagome looked up into Inuyasha's tree. "Inuyasha? Do you think you can eat? Or maybe drink some broth at least?"

The hanyou jumped down from the tree once again before nodding carefully. "So, noodles?" He nodded again and took the bowl she offered. He sat at the base of his tree and carefully opened his mouth enough to slip a few noodles in. It wasn't easy but he figured it out. He couldn't live without his ramen.

"I got some treats for you guys, Kirara and Kazue. I don't know if you'll like them or not. They're made for cats and dogs in my time." She dug the bags out of the piles of supplies and opened them, pouring some out for each. Once everyone had been served Kagome finally grabbed a bowl for herself and one for Sesshoumaru before she returned to his side and sat once more.

Once everyone had finished eating Kagome produced the storybook she had purchased and read to the children before sending them off to bed. They all lay just as they had the night before except for the fact that Kagome had not yet joined them. She had instead chosen to stay awake for a while longer to talk with Sesshoumaru. When she sat beside him again she was startled for a minute when mokomoko slithered across her shoulders from his own. "So was that you or it?" she asked with a grin.

"That was solely mokomoko. Are you not tired?"

"Eh, sure I'm a little tired. But I'm not ready to sleep just yet." She stopped speaking aloud then and began to use their connection for the sake of privacy. 'I asked my mother if she knew a way for us to share memories again so you can show Inuyasha the truth. She said we should try it first, that we might still be able to and not know it. If not she said you should try to give me a bit more of your youki. Did you know you left some behind before Kaede mentioned it? Mama said it's become a permanent part of me.'

'Yes, I was aware. When I removed it from you the last bit refused to return. I searched the library for an explanation but found none. So then your mother recommended trying first?'

'Yeah. So I figured I would try to show you something and if it doesn't work then we could try the youki thing if you wanted to. But I want to wait until tomorrow. I don't think I could fully focus right now.'

'That is acceptable. This Sesshoumaru has something I would like to ask you.' He looked at her and she smiled. 'When you used the gazing crystal of your mother's and saw my pups and I leaving did you attempt to contact me through it?'

'You did hear me then! I didn't know it could do that!'

'I not only heard your voice but felt your touch as well. It had this Sesshoumaru questioning my sanity.'

'I thought so. You looked awful confused right after. Mama never mentioned it being able to do that. I wonder why.'

'Perhaps it is because of the remaining connection and your mother was not aware?'

'Yeah, I guess you could be right.' She looked over at him again. He had an odd look on his face. "Sesshoumaru, are you alright?" As she looked him up and down searching for the source of his discomfort in the light of the fire she noticed his pristine white pant leg had once again become stained red with blood. "Sesshoumaru! Your leg is bleeding again!"

"It is alright. There is no need to worry. This Sesshoumaru believes I may have torn the 'stitches' as you called them."

"Yeah, I have a sneaking suspicion you're right. What were you doing? How did you tear them?"

"I was testing something." She looked into his eyes searching for what he had not said.

"You jumped in the well, didn't you? And you hit the bottom. Nice. Good job. Now I'm probably going to have to sew the whole thing again. Hopefully you didn't tear your leg up worse. Why didn't you tell me?"

"This Sesshoumaru did not want you to worry."

"Yeah well now I have to do this by flashlight. You couldn't have told me **before** the sun went down?" She moved to stand and was surprised when, rather than unwinding from her, mokomoko instead wrapped around her more and left Sesshoumaru completely. Apparently it liked her. Moving over to her things, she dug out a flashlight and her first aid kit. "Come on. Let's go to the stream so I can clean off all the blood again." He rose carefully and she watched as he walked over to her. He was definitely favoring the leg.

When they arrived at the stream she realized she hadn't brought anything for him to cover himself with this time. Blushing, she looked back at him. "Sesshoumaru? Do you think you could…?" She trailed off and he nodded, understanding her embarrassment again. After she turned around he removed his pants, sat, and used them to cover his more private area. He then called her over. She handed him the flashlight and showed him how to hold it so she could see. After she carefully unwrapped the now bloody bandages she gasped. His leg was much worse than it had been the first time. When the stitches had torn they had made the once straight and clean cuts jagged. Once she cleaned the blood away and got a good look at it she decided. "I'm not going to be able to sew this. It's a big mess now. I'm gonna take the stitches out the rest of the way and then I'm going to have to heal it. You really did a number here. Why would you choose to test the well while your leg was still healing? Really, by tomorrow it would have been back to normal and it would have been no problem. You're just not patient, are you?" She had started snipping the threads and pulling them out with tweezers.

"This Sesshoumaru wanted to see if the well would work for myself. I did not want to wait."

"Yeah, didn't want to wait or didn't think about what would happen if you hit the bottom?"

"Perhaps a bit of both." He looked at her, still wrapped in his mokomoko. She looked rather nice surrounded in his fur. Not quite as nice as she had at the spring, but it was still nice. It was almost like she was wrapped in his arms. Mokomoko was certainly lucky. When he noticed that he was now getting jealous of an actual part of himself he nearly laughed aloud. The miko certainly made him act strangely at times. He decided then to ask her about earlier. "Kagome, when you returned from your walk with the slayer,"

"Sango," she interrupted.

"Yes, Sango. When you returned you were nervous and confused. Did something happen while you were with her?" He watched as she looked at him with surprise in her eyes before a blush spread on her cheeks.

"Nothing important. We just talked is all." Her voice didn't sound quite right. She was hiding something. He reached out and moved her chin so she was forced to look into his eyes.

"Tell me the truth, Kagome."

"It was nothing, really! We just hadn't gotten to talk in a while."

"Kagome, did you forget I can feel your emotions as well as smell when you are lying to me?"

She looked at him with pleading eyes. "Sesshoumaru, just let me fix your leg. I'm tired and I want to go to bed soon. It was nothing important, really. Nothing to worry about. Just some silly idea Sango has. I'm not sure if I buy it or not."

"What is it that Sango thinks?" If the slayer suspected something perhaps he needed to have a talk with her as well. She was the only one now, besides the elder miko that did not know of his intentions. And he suspected that the old woman knew more than she let on.

Kagome let out a sigh. "You're not gonna let this go, are you?" She had finished the inner leg and moved to the outer which was just as torn. He gave her a look. "Alright, alright. Sango has this silly idea that…" She paused, sucking in a deep breath before continuing. "…you might be interested in me. I told her it was silly. I mean, you don't like humans, let alone like…"

"Kagome," he stopped her rambling. He couldn't let her go on thinking that. "Your friends are very perceptive." He watched as her eyes widened, her hands having frozen in their task. "Kagome, they are right. The monk and the slayer both. I am most definitely 'interested' in you."

"What?" Her voice was barely even a whisper. "But why? How?"

"You, Kagome, are a beautiful woman, kind, loyal, powerful. Any man who cannot see that is blind and stupid. Like the hanyou. He has had you by his side all this time and never appreciated you." He took her left hand in his right. "For a long time I had attempted to deny my attraction to you, but I can do so no longer. This Sesshoumaru is drawn to you. My beast is drawn to you. It does not matter to me that you are human or a miko. All that matters is that you are Kagome."

As she listened her eyes filled with tears. He actually liked her for her? For nearly two years she had been constantly reminded that she was a mere shadow to Kikyo and here was someone who could see her for who she really is.

"Kagome? Please do not cry. If you do not feel the same, I will under…"

"No. No that's not it. I just…you…really?" She sniffled before wiping her eyes quickly.

"Yes, really."

"I…I don't know what to say."

"You do not have to say anything. I understand that you will need time. I did not intend to tell you yet but I could not allow you to believe that it was not possible."

"I… I think I might like you too." She smiled at him then. "But we need to get to know each other better. You only know a part of who I am and I don't know a whole lot about you either."

"I am willing to wait as long as you need."

"So Sango was right? It explains a lot, though, doesn't it. All the flirting. You are really cute when your being a flirt." She watched as he smiled at her. "And definitely cute when you smile. Alright, now let me finish this and them I'm going to sleep. You could probably use some sleep too." He watched as her hands began to glow pink and she ran them along his wounds, healing them instantly. The tingle that ran through him made him shiver. "All better?"

"Yes, thank you Kagome." He watched as she tried to stand and wavered slightly. "Kagome? Are you alright?"

She gave up trying to stand with a sigh. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit more tired than I thought."

"Sit for a moment." He reached out and touched her cheek. "You may wish to close your eyes. Or not." He smirked at her as she blushed before closing her eyes. He stood, impressed at the fact that there was no hint of lingering pain or injury. She was getting very good at healing. Once he had put his pants back on he bent down and with the help of mokomoko he gathered her into his arm, her head resting on his shoulder. Her eyes barely fluttered as he lifted her from the ground.

"Sesshoumaru?" she whispered.

"Rest, Kagome. I will carry you back to camp." She went limp in his hold and he walked slowly back towards the others, taking his time to enjoy the warmth of her body pressed against him. He had told her. She knew and she had not denied him. In fact, she had said she might like him as well. It was a start and he smiled as he looked down at her face. Her eyelids fluttered slightly as she slept, her breathing slow and steady. She looked like an angel in his arm, her face pressed into white fur. She was more beautiful every time he looked at her.

When they reentered the camp Inuyasha dropped from his tree to glare at his brother. He didn't speak, couldn't really, but his glare spoke enough. He stepped close to look at the girl being held by his brother. She looked so peaceful. He took a sniff and determined she was safe and really just asleep. He stepped aside then and watched as Sesshoumaru walked towards her bedding which was still overrun with children. Inuyasha was surprised when he saw the small inus rise and move out of the way so he could lay her down. Once she was situated, her arms looped around Rin and Shippo once more, he covered her and the pups surrounded her again.

Sesshoumaru looked over at his little brother who was still staring. He moved a bit away from where the miko rested and sat beneath a tree, motioning for Inuyasha to join him. He did, rather hesitantly, and sat in front of the demon lord. "She knows now, Inuyasha. I told her of my interest." He watched as Inuyasha made a face. "She did not deny me brother. We will be spending time getting to know each other better and you will not interfere. Do you understand?"

While he really wanted to yell and curse since he could do neither at the moment, Inuyasha merely nodded. If she wanted his brother too then there really wasn't anything he could do about it. And he didn't think he wanted her as his mate anyway. He was still confused as to his feelings for Kagome. He was pretty sure that while he loved her with every bit of his heart it wasn't the love for a mate as much as for his best friend or maybe even his sister. The monk and slayer both considered her family, a sister, and Inuyasha had finally decided that that was most likely how he felt as well. He would still keep an eye on his brother, though. The hanyou knew he had caused enough pain to Kagome. He wouldn't let his brother cause any more.

His brother's nod surprised the taiyoukai. He had not expected Inuyasha to handle the information so well. Maybe he was finally thinking? Whatever it was, he was glad to not have to fight his brother again. It was getting old. "I am glad you understand, Inuyasha. When I ask her to be my mate I hope we will both have your support." He watched his brother glare. "I suppose it will take you some time to get used to." Inuyasha glared just a little harder before returning to his perch in the tree over Kagome's resting place. Sesshoumaru took of his own place from the previous night sitting at the base of the same tree.

Sango smiled from her resting place on the other side of the fire. She had heard everything. Sesshoumaru did like Kagome and Kagome knew now. She was sure, too, that Kagome liked the demon lord as well. She just didn't know it yet.

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Morning greeted a very cheery miko who woke to see the children were playing a little ways away, Miroku and Sango were talking quietly, and Sesshoumaru was sitting a few feet away from her at the base of the tree she had been sleeping under. She smiled at him before standing and stretching, giving him a nice view of her stomach as her shirt lifted. He watched as she dug through her big yellow bag before standing and walking away towards the stream, Kazue hot on her heels. After she had brushed her teeth, washed her face, and changed into fresh clothes she returned to camp finding nothing had changed. Inuyasha was nowhere to be found and she figured he was off pouting somewhere. She approached Sango and Miroku who stopped talking as soon as they saw her.

"What are you two talking about so secretly?" She raised a suspicious eyebrow at the two, a habit she had picked up from somewhere.

"Nothing secret, Kagome. We were just talking."

"Sure, Sango. Just talking. Did you guys have breakfast yet?"

"Yes, we did, Lady Kagome. The children went fishing this morning. There is one waiting for you by the fire." Miroku smirked at her and she was sure Sango had told him something.

"Sango, you promised me!"

"No, Kagome. I didn't say anything about what we talked about. I swear!"

"Then why does he have that look on his face?" They both looked at the monk who was now trying to hide his smile but failing. "Give it up, Miroku. I saw already."

"We were talking about something else entirely." She looked past Kagome at the demon lord who merely sat, silently observing.

Kagome sighed. "Yeah, okay, whatever." Deciding she was too hungry to care right now she retrieved her fish and ate quickly. When she had finished she went to Sesshoumaru's side. "I need to look at the chest and side wounds. I can probably take the bandages off now, after I make sure they're all healed up." He merely nodded while opening his haori for her. She carefully peeled back the bandages to find perfect skin once again. "All gone. Hey, is there a reason you never put your armor back on?"

"This Sesshoumaru did not find it necessary at the present time. When we begin traveling I will have to wear it again but at the moment I am more comfortable without it."

"I can see that. It looks heavy. And I bet it gets hot too."

"It also makes it fairly difficult to sit comfortably. It would also make it impossible for me to feel you." As he said this he pulled her into his lap sideways, his right arm supporting her back. "And I can't have that, now can I?"

She giggled at him while the others looked on in silence. "I suppose that's a good enough reason for me." She moved from his lap and stood, him giving her no resistance. She gathered a few textbooks and her notes and began walking towards where the children were playing. As she passed Sesshoumaru he smirked at her and she blushed. She knew he was following her but didn't say anything as she settled in a shady spot. He settled in beside her. "So, you ready to try?" He nodded. "What should I try to share?"

"Show this Sesshoumaru something of your time."

Kagome thought for a minute before settling on a memory. She would show him breakfast with her family from a few days ago. That way he could see all three of them in one shot. Since it was just a test she didn't figure it had to be incredibly interesting and it was still fresh in her mind. She concentrated on the memory and focused on Sesshoumaru like she did when she silently communicated with him. After a few minutes she looked at him. 'It didn't work, did it?'

'No, it did not. Allow this Sesshoumaru to try.' He thought of a memory to share and focused on Kagome. Nothing happened, again.

"It's not gonna work. The connection isn't strong enough."

"This Sesshoumaru does not mind. I will have to give you more youki to strengthen it."

"Okay, so how do you do that?"

He had a very good impression of a Miroku look on his face. "This Sesshoumaru will have to kiss you."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Kiss me, eh? Are you sure you have to, or do you just want to?"

"It is the only way, but it is not the only reason. This Sesshoumaru has wanted to kiss you since you woke."

She blushed brightly. "Well, then what are you waiting for?" He leaned in then, his hand touching her cheek gently. She leaned closer while closing her eyes. Their lips were so close they could feel each other's breath. When they touched it was like everything around them disappeared. There was no sound of the children playing, no sound of the breeze moving the leaves in the trees, no chirping of insects and singing of birds, no sound of water from the stream a little ways away, nothing. There was nothing but the feel of his soft, warm lips covering her own starting a tingling sensation that ran wild throughout her body. She felt it then, his power flowing into her. When he reluctantly pulled away her eyes stayed closed and he looked at her.

She looked absolutely perfect, then, her midnight lashes brushing her slightly pink cheeks, her lips still slightly pursed. He decided not to fight the urge and leaned in to kiss her once more. His hand slid from her cheek into her hair and he moved his lips ever so gently, slowly, hoping not to frighten or overwhelm her. He could have floated away to heaven just then when her lips moved with his. Their lips danced against each other until he felt her need for air. Before he released her, though, he pulled her bottom lip between his own, sucking slightly and nibbling, drawing a small moan from her. When they pulled apart they were both breathing heavily. They stared into each other's eyes for a minute, their foreheads pressed against each other until they heard it. Giggling. It had started quietly but was growing in intensity. They each turned and looked at the small crowd that had gathered. Kagome blushed and buried her face in his fur and Sesshoumaru smirked rather triumphantly at the children. They all grinned back before turning and returning to their game.

Author's Note: I just want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read and review. I'm glad you all are enjoying the story so far. Once I am caught up here (I started posting here a few weeks after elsewhere) then there will be individual responses to most reviews. I hope you continue to enjoy the new chapters!


	36. Comforts and Companions

**Chapter 36 – Comforts and Companions**

"I can't believe they saw that," she groaned into his shoulder.

"Why are you embarrassed, Kagome? You just made them all very happy." She pulled back to look at him.

"And how did I do that?" She looked suspiciously at him and then at the children who were running and laughing once more.

"You taste absolutely wonderful." She blushed even more at his words.

"**That** does not answer my question." Suddenly her mind was flooded with images. She saw Shippo sitting in front of her and heard Sesshoumaru declaring his interest. She heard all the children talking, their voices filled with excitement at the idea of Sesshoumaru and herself together. When the vision had subsided she smiled at him. "I see. Well, I guess that means the youki worked."

"Yes, it does."

"I taste good, huh? Well, you do too." She smiled widely. "So, now that we know it works I need to do some studying." They sat for hours side by side, Kagome leaning slightly against him. While Kagome read one textbook, taking notes as she went along, Sesshoumaru was looking over another. He was looking through her science book, finding each page more and more amazing. The people of her time had learned a great deal. He read things in the book that he had never even imagined possible. They knew what the stars were made of, they understood why volcanoes erupted, they had classified more varieties of plants, animals, and insects than he had ever known existed. And yet there was no mention of youkai. As he read through, learning about photosynthesis and the water cycle, single celled organisms, dinosaurs, the solar system, and all kinds of amazing knowledge demons were not mentioned once.

After a while the children had grown tired of playing and had joined them, all but Akihiro settling down for a nap. Akihiro could not bring himself to sleep when such amazing looking books were just waiting for him to read. He was looking through her math book, starting at the beginning and teaching himself as he went along. The advancement of mathematic knowledge astounded him. And the fact that Kagome was studying it only made him love her more. She was not a stupid woman. She was intelligent and educated and would be able to talk to him, really talk to him. His brothers all thought he was silly, reading all the time, but he couldn't help himself. The scrolls and books in the library called to him, taunting him with their knowledge until he gave in and read them. Perhaps she would bring him some more of these 'textbooks' as she called them from her time.

When her eyes were beginning to win their protest of boredom she closed her book, marking her page with her notes. She looked then at Sesshoumaru and Akihiro, both inu absolutely entranced by the books they were studying intently. "If only you guys could take my tests for me. Then I wouldn't have anything to worry about." They looked up at her. "So, you think you can put the books down to have some lunch?"

They woke the rest of the children and returned to camp to find Sango stirring stew in a pot over the fire. "I managed to snag a couple of rabbits. Thought some real food was in order. The fish this morning were just too good and made me want more meat!"

"Really, Sango? Are you sure you're not a demon in there somewhere? Or pregnant?" Kagome laughed as Sango blushed. "That smells amazing and I was just kidding. Don't blush too hard or you might pass out. Thanks for cooking! I'm absolutely famished! Way too much studying." She watched as the children lined up to be served and when it was her turn she got a bowl for Sesshoumaru as well. "Where's Jaken? And Inuyasha?"

"Jaken took Ah Un to check on things at the palace. I do not know where the hanyou went. He left early this morning before anyone woke."

"Oh. Alright. He'll come back when he gets hungry." She sat beside Sesshoumaru. Sango sat beside her and glared at Miroku as he tried to sit beside her. Catching the hint the monk instead sat on the opposite side of the fire. The children completed the circle and soon everyone was eating the rabbit stew Sango had prepared. "This is really good, Sango! I should leave you to cook more often!" Kazue hopped onto her shoulder and Kagome gave her a piece of rabbit with her chopsticks. "I'm sorry, Kazue. I bet you're hungry! I don't know what to give you."

"Kazue can hunt for herself as long as I am present to protect you in her absence."

"You hear that, Kazue? You can go find whatever you want. Sesshoumaru will stay here with me, right?" He nodded and everyone watched the tiny black and red dog saunter away into the forest wagging her tail. A tiny two tailed neko followed after her. "I hoped they would get along. It's so cute, the two of them together."

Sango nodded her agreement. "I'm glad Kirara has a friend. I feel bad sometimes that I can't understand her. It must get lonely with no one to talk to."

Sesshoumaru glanced at Kagome before speaking. "This Sesshoumaru can understand her. I believe the kit can as well."

They all look at Shippo who nodded. "She talks to me sometimes when we play or at night. She didn't want me to tell you so you wouldn't feel bad that you can't."

"I never knew that. I guess it is kind of sad that I can't talk to her but at least she has had someone to talk to all this time." Sango looked at her bowl in her lap.

'Sesshoumaru? Could Sango make a connection with Kirara like I have with Kazue? If she wanted to, of course.'

'If the fire cat agrees then I see no reason not to. You should ask the slayer…Sango…alone, though. If she does form a connection with Kirara then it would come in handy in battle and it may be better for it to remain a secret like your connection with Kazue.'

'But if I bring it up she will want to know how I know.'

'Then tell her I told you. I did, so you would not be lying.'

Kagome looked at her friend. She looked so sad. Kirara had been with Sango since she was a child and yet they never formed a bond. Perhaps it was because of her being a slayer. Maybe her people didn't approve of bonding with demons, even the friendly ones. She would have to find out. And she would have to ask Kazue or Sesshoumaru to ask Kirara how she felt about it as well.

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Kagura had taken her time in her return to Naraku's hidden castle. She was not looking forward to telling him about his failure to kill the pups of the western lord. Hopefully he didn't decide to kill her in his anger. Or maybe he would. If she was dead then at least she would be free of him. But then she remembered. Kagura wanted to live. She wanted to see Naraku killed before she breathed her last. Steeling her nerves she entered the room when the evil hanyou sat. She looked him over for a minute.

He sat in a corner looking almost as if he was in a trance. He was holding his portion of the sacred jewel staring at it as if he were trying to see into the very heart of the jewel itself. Without moving or looking up he spoke. "Where have you been, Kagura?"

She jumped a bit at his words, startled by his speaking. She hadn't thought he was aware of her presence. "I was merely keeping an eye on things, master."

"What is there to keep watch of? I did not send you on any tasks and nothing is being done at the moment."

"I was checking on Lord Sesshoumaru, master. If he had decided to attack we could have been caught off guard."

"Oh, is that so? And what was the dog up to then?"

"Master, I am sorry to tell you that your plan failed. The pups are alive."

"Yes, Kagura. I am aware. Did you come across anything of actual value?" His voice was sarcastic and yet full of warning at the same time.

"No, master, I did not. I only saw that the boys were alive before I came back to tell you. How did you already know?"

"The saimyosho are **much** more reliable than you, Kagura. They told me days ago. Leave me. I am busy devising my newest plan and you are nothing but an annoying distraction. Find something to do of some worth or I will have to reunite you with your sister." His words were full of hate and Kagura cringed at the thought of how Kanna had died. She did not want that to happen to her.

"Yes, Master Naraku." She turned and fled the room, returning to the room she used as her own on the opposite side of the dilapidated castle. She had to think of something, someway to make Lord Sesshoumaru and the others trust her. She needed their help.

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He felt bad for Kagura. She had watched her sister die, killed by that monster. He wished he could go speak with her, try to comfort her, but he could not. Instead he stayed where he sat in the room next to the one that held the disgusting, evil creature that held him captive as well. He sat and stared into the distance thinking of her. She was all he could think about anymore. Her long brown hair, her tear-filled brown eyes, the sound of her voice as she called his name. He could remember her now. He could remember them all, how he had killed them all in cold-blood. It had been like he was watching from inside someone else. He had no control, could not stop it as his body followed the orders of another and slaughtered his family, his friends, his people. For a long time after that his memory was blank. He had very little knowledge of what had transpired during that time. But then he had seen her. Something about her called to him, called back his memories. Painful memories, true, but at least they were memories. It was better to remember something painful than to remember nothing at all.

And yet here he still sat. He did not go to her. He did not let her know he remembered. He couldn't. Not yet, at least. No, he would stay here in the very den of evil, watching and waiting until the time came when he could help her. He would help her avenge the deaths of all who had been killed by the monster that held him, all who the monster had killed through him, with his own body. But until then he waited, pretending and listening, learning the monster's secrets. And when he knew enough he would escape and go to the girl with the long brown hair and the sad brown eyes. He would find her and tell her the secrets that would help bring about the end of the evil. He would find Sango.

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Hiromi was all smiles when she came back into the house. Souta looked at her like she had lost her mind. "Mama? What are you so happy about?"

"Huh? Oh, Souta dear! What did you say?"

"I asked why you're so happy. Are you okay?" His voice was hesitant. It was rare for him to see his mother distracted. She always seemed focused on him and his sister, when she was home at least.

"Oh, nothing special dear. I'm just happy is all. I think I'm going to make some cookies. How does that sound?"

"Chocolate chip?"

"Of course dear."

"Yummy! That sounds great Mom!"

Hiromi smiled again as she turned towards the kitchen to start the cookies. She had a good reason to smile, a very good one. She had seen her daughter's Sakimitama kiss her. She had also seen her husband, who appeared to be busy readying his hiding place for visitors. It would be a while still until they arrived but he had never had guests and there was certain to be a lot of them. He had aged slightly but he was still the man she had fallen in love with. She had not seen him smile in some time now, but today a bright smile not only showed on his face but shone through his eyes as well. Kagome had opened the box and held the arrow just like she was supposed to and now he knew she was safe and coming to him. Soon enough he would see the beautiful woman his daughter had grown into. Their sacrifice had been worth it, she was sure. As she gathered ingredients she began to hum to herself, her smile never fading.

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When lunch was finished and cleaned up Kagome had started digging through her supplies once more. When she finally found what she was looking for she popped up and turned to the demon lord who had been watching her wiggling bottom intently. "Hey, since Kazue isn't back yet do you wanna walk with me to the village? I need to give these to Kaede." She shook a bottle at him, its contents rattling. Seeing his curiosity she spoke again. "It's medicine from my time for her. She's got arthritis pretty bad in her hands and this seems to help."

"Ar…ther...i..tis?" He said the foreign word slowly.

"It's something humans often get as they get older. It's basically stiffness and pain in the joints. It makes holding things harder for her. Some people get it just in their hands and others get it in their knees. Some people can get it everywhere. Doctors in my time can't heal it but they can make it more bearable with medicines like this." He nodded and stood. Kagome turned to the kids. "Can you guys stay here with Sango and Miroku? Too many demons make the villagers nervous." They nodded and moved to get out their coloring things. She turned back to Sesshoumaru who was holding his arm out to her. She slipped her own through it and they began their walk to the old miko's hut.

The walk was quiet but comfortable. Kagome took the time to think over everything that had happened since last night. She now knew that Sesshoumaru really did like her, that Sango had been right. She had fallen asleep in his arm as he carried her back to camp. He had kissed her, not just to transfer youki but really kissed her. And it had been **really** nice. She had never expected a kiss from the demon lord to be so…so…perfect. She could think of no other way to describe it. The more she thought about it the more she became convinced that she had feelings for him as well. When she was near him the empty feeling she had tried to forget about was gone. Her soul felt at peace. Was it possible that she was in love with him? She wasn't sure when she had stopped loving Inuyasha in that way. It had been a gradual thing, barely noticeable until it was done. And the feelings she now held for Sesshoumaru had snuck in just as slowly. She hadn't noticed really until she was already in too deep to stop herself.

Sesshoumaru was deep in thought himself. She had allowed him to kiss her. She had even kissed him back. She had said last night that she might like him too. While not definitive, it was at least not a rejection. The taste of her, the feel of her returning the kiss, it was altogether amazing. He was definitely looking forward to doing it again. He had never kissed the demonesses he had been with in the past. He hadn't seen the point, had never felt the need. It was an intimate, special thing to be shared with someone special and they had never been special. Just there. But now he felt this undeniable urge to kiss the woman beside him, to taste her soft, sweet lips again. Once had not been enough, twice had not been enough. He didn't think he would ever have enough, could ever have enough.

When they reached their destination they had nearly walked right on past. Neither was paying much attention. They had been stopped, however, by the voice of the person they were looking for.

"Kagome, child. How nice to see you!" She had a smile on her face again, something secret dancing in her one good eye.

"Oh, hello, Kaede. I brought you some more arthritis medicine. I almost forgot about it. Here." She handed the bottle to the miko who held it with care.

"This old woman thanks you, Kagome dear. It is amazing, the medicines from your time."

"No problem. So what are you up to? Is there anything you need help with?"

Kaede nodded. "Yes, dear child, if you wouldn't mind. I am running low on several herbs that do not grow here in my garden. They only grow out in the woods and my old bones are not quite feeling up to the journey today."

Kagome disentangled her arm from Sesshoumaru's. "Sure Kaede. Which ones?" The taiyoukai watched as Kaede and Kagome stepped into the hut. He leaned against the outside of the hut, waiting while he listened to their discussion. A few minutes later Kagome came out of the hut with a basket and a list. She was surprised to see Kazue and Kirara sitting at Sesshoumaru's feet.

"This Sesshoumaru wishes to speak to the elder miko. Kazue and Kirara will escort you. It will give you a chance to speak with them about the…Sango." He was still having a hard time referring to her friends by their names.

"Oh, okay." She was fairly curious about what he had to talk to Kaede about but decided to worry about it later. She had other things to focus on. She started into the forest, having slung her bow and arrows over her shoulder after picking them up from the corner of the hut. The fire neko and inu followed after her side by side.

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"What can this old woman do for you, Lord Sesshoumaru?" Kaede asked politely with a small bow.

He returned her bow out of respect before speaking. "Could we sit, please?" She nodded and they did. He watched as she poured two cups of tea before handing him one. "Thank you." She nodded at him again. "This Sesshoumaru wishes to ask you about the well. I have learned that my brother can pass through. Kagome had mentioned that you believed it was because of the subjugation beads and the connection they created. I had deduced that the connection she and I share would be greater than the simple subjugation spell but it appears I was mistaken."

"The well would not permit you passage then?"

"No." She looked at him questioningly. "I would like to hear your thoughts on this. Why can the hanyou pass but this Sesshoumaru cannot?"

She looked contemplative for a moment before she responded. "Perhaps it is because the connection they share is represented by a physical item."

"If this Sesshoumaru were to have subjugation beads as well, then would I be able to pass?"

"I do not know, Lord Sesshoumaru. It is a possibility, but would you really wish to give Kagome such power over you?"

He looked at her as he thought. Eventually he decided. "You are aware of the feelings of this Sesshoumaru, are you not?" She nodded while smiling. "Kagome already holds a great deal of power over me without even knowing it. She does not need a spell to persuade me to her will. I do not believe a strand of beads would make much of a difference. Could you make another?"

"I did not make the necklace Inuyasha wears. My elder sister Kikyo made it before her death. But I believe I could make one for you. It would take some time, though."

"How long?" He wanted it done as soon as possible. He wasn't sure if he would need to convince Kagome to place it on him and he wanted to test the theory before she returned next week.

"A few days at least. Do you intend to tell her about it?"

"Not until it is complete."

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When Kagome had located the first herb on the list she began to speak. "Kirara, I was wondering. Do you know about the connection I have with Kazue, so that I can understand her?" The miko watched as the fire cat nodded at her. "Is there a reason why you don't have a similar one with Sango?" The tiny cat began to mew and Kagome turned to look at Kazue for translation.

'She says the demon slayers did not approve of the necessary blood connection. Sango probably has no idea that it is possible.'

Turning back to the cat she continued. "Would you like to form this bond with her if she agrees? I can ask her for you." Once again Kirara spoke in meows.

'She says that she would love to share such a connection with the slayer. She would like to bond with you as well. I've told her about how you want to keep it secret for use in battle and she agrees that it would be incredibly useful. She says she has always wished to be able to communicate with the slayer.'

"Alright. Well then I'll tell her about it and how it works and then if she agrees, which I know she will, then we can both bond with you, Kirara. I wouldn't want to do it before her. Sango should be first."

'She says thank you. She can't wait.'

Kagome smiled. "It's settled then. Let's hurry up and get the rest of the herbs for Kaede so we can go back to Sango." She stood up then and continued the search.

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Sango and Miroku were talking quietly again. Sango had told him what she had seen the night before between Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru and Miroku had shared the conversation that had gotten Inuyasha punched. They had been discussing since their observations and opinions. Neither noticed that the children had fallen silent and were listening closely. Eventually they decided to clue the two in and joined them. The slayer and monk listened in awe as the pups filled them in not only on the demon lord's feelings and intentions but also on the kiss they had witnessed earlier. It seemed their observations and suspicions had definitely been right. Both were happy for their friend and sister. She deserved to have someone love her and only her. It was about time!

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The missing hanyou had decided he needed a little time to himself and was hiding out in his secret place. It was a cave that's entrance was nearly invisible and almost unreachable. He had used it several times when he was younger to hide during his human night or to rest without being detected and chased. It held the few things he still had to remind him of his mother. He sat in the near darkness, his half-demon eyes being strong enough that he could see perfectly, looking over the last bits of the memory of his mother. He had given Kikyo his mother's lip paint and had no idea what happened to it when she died. All that remained was a hairbrush, a beautiful set of combs that she had worn often, and an old tattered kimono that had once held her scent. It had faded away completely long ago. There was one more item too, but he had no idea what it held. It was a small wooden box that had been sealed somehow. He had tried to open it several times but was afraid to force it in case he would break it or any contents. So instead he left it alone. It didn't matter what was in it anyway, only that it had been important to her.

He had been sitting for some time just staring at the things laid out before him. He missed his mother. She had been the only person to ever accept him besides Kagome. She had left him because his brother had hated humans and hanyou so much that he kicked them out of the palace when their father had died. Her family had hated him so much that they treated her horribly. She ended up sick due to the poor conditions they were forced to live in. When she finally died he hadn't know what to do so he had taken the few things she still had with him and ran. He had been running ever since. Then, when he found Kikyo, she had made him believe his running was over but it had been a lie. He understood now that she never accepted him fully. Not like Kagome did. He was so confused. His brother had hated humans and hanyou so much he sentenced him and his mother to their deaths. But now he wanted a human as his mate? To have hanyou children of his own? It didn't make sense at all.

All he knew for sure was that he couldn't lose Kagome. She had given his life meaning, given him friends, real ones who accepted him for who and what he was. And yet he had never truly accepted her who for who she was. No, he merely compared her to his old love. She didn't deserve to be compared to Kikyo. She didn't compare to Kikyo. She was so much more wonderful than Kikyo had ever been. He sat and thought, all alone, trying to find a way to make sure Kagome wouldn't get hurt. He would kill Sesshoumaru if he hurt her. But how was he going to be able to sit and watch the hypocrisy of his brother having feelings for a human miko, let alone his human miko, his best friend. His entire life had been torn apart by something that didn't matter to Sesshoumaru anymore? No answers were forthcoming and he was stuck confused and hurt, betrayed and alone. Eventually he fell into a restless sleep holding the kimono in his hands, wishing it still held his mother's scent.


	37. A Miko Belt or Damn it! Put me Down!

**Chapter 37 – A Miko Belt or 'Damn it! Put me down!'**

Kagome had been walking and picking the herbs on her list for a while now. She had all but one, but she couldn't find it. As she walked deeper into the forest she began to get a bad feeling. Glancing down at her companions she saw that they both appeared to be scanning the area. Just when she was about to decide to turn back she saw it. The last herb she needed. She forgot all about the increasingly oppressive feeling of danger and rushed over to pick it. As she knelt she heard a growl. Turning to see why Kazue or Kirara were growling she came face to face with a seriously ugly boar demon. It looked at her in a way that made her skin crawl and she began backing away slowly. Kazue and Kirara had both transformed and stood on either side of her snarling dangerously.

'Stay back, Kagome. Let us handle this.' Kagome nodded slightly while still backing up, trying to put as much distance between the hideous demon and herself as possible.

"Quite a lot of protection for one human woman. Something special, are you?"

"I would go away if I were you. Just go away, leave me alone, and you won't have to die today."

The demon merely laughed. "You think these little demon guard dogs of yours are going to stop me? Nothing can stop me. Not with this." He held out a rather hideous hoofed hand that held a tiny shard glowing black.

'Kazue, he has a jewel shard. Be careful!' _'How did I manage to miss that? Why didn't I feel the jewel shard before?' _ Deciding now was not the time for contemplation she began to slowly reach for her bow, hoping he wouldn't notice until it was too late.

"I wouldn't suggest going for the bow and arrows woman. Then I'll have to hurt you before all the fun. While I would still enjoy it, it is much more pleasurable when you can still move." A shudder ran down her spine as she realized what he intended to do.

"You don't want to do this. You really don't want to do this."

"Oh, I can assure you I most definitely want to do this." He took a step forward and the growling on either side of her increased in volume. Kagome watched as both Kazue and Kirara readied themselves to pounce and attack the threat. She was worried, though. She didn't want either of them to get hurt and this demon held a jewel shard, making it much more powerful than it would be otherwise.

_'Damnit Sesshoumaru! Where are you when I need you?' _She had barely finished the thought when she felt a strong youki approaching. It had to be him. No one else felt quite so powerful.

Within seconds the boar was hanging in the air by its throat. "You dare attack one who has been marked by this Sesshoumaru?" The demon's eyes widened slightly before he remembered.

"I dare. You cannot defeat me. Not now." He grabbed the clawed hand that held him with both of his hoofed ones and tried to pry his fingers loose.

"Is that so?" Sesshoumaru looked the boar straight in the eyes while allowing his poison to enter the boar's throat. He attempted to say something but all that came out was a hissing gurgle as his body dropped to the ground, fully separated from its head by the corrosive poison. Sesshoumaru dropped the head in distaste and turned to look at the miko. He scanned her from head to toe, checking for any possible injuries. He had just started to take a step forward when he was caught off guard by something that pulled him backwards. The demon he had just beheaded had somehow reached up and grabbed a handful of his hair!

"Sesshoumaru! He has a jewel shard! He's going to keep fighting no matter how many times you kill him until you get the shard away!"

The inu taiyoukai moved so quickly the now only semi-beheaded boar didn't have a chance. His arms, legs, and once again head hit the ground, sliced off by his youki whip. One hand still clung to his hair, cut off at the wrist and he watched as the pieces moved towards the torso once more. "Where is the shard?"

Kagome looked carefully. She had lost sight of it during the struggle. "I think it's still in his hand! Stay still." Sesshoumaru did as he was told and Kagome pulled an arrow from her quiver, charging it slightly with her powers before she stabbed it into the hand wrapped around silver locks. The hand dissolved, purified, and the rest of the body followed. The black, tainted jewel shard fell to the forest floor and Kagome knelt to pick it up. It turned a pure pink as she touched it and she let out a sigh of relief before slipping it in the little bottle that hung around her neck, hidden under her shirt. "I can't believe he thought he could take you." She was startled when she found herself pulled into his arm and held to his chest.

"Are you alright, Kagome?" His heart was beating like crazy and his beast was still fighting for freedom. His intended had been attacked and could have been killed.

"I'm fine, Sesshoumaru. Just a little shaken up. It's been a while since I've been attacked like that. Sesshoumaru? I'm fine, really." She had barely finished talking before his lips were on hers, much more aggressively than the last time. The intensity surprised her but was quickly forgotten as she surrendered to the feelings he was creating. She felt his tongue slide across her lips and she opened without a seconds thought, feeling as it touched her own before continuing on, touching every part of her now open mouth.

He had never been so frightened in his life as when he had felt her fear. Even with Kirara and Kazue with her she could still be hurt or worse yet killed. Though the fight had been short he had been unable to help himself. He needed reassurance that she really was okay and she gave it to him willingly. The taste of her, the feel of her still present power, her scent, everything about her surrounded him as he continued to kiss her passionately. The kiss slowed as he calmed and he coaxed her tongue to join in. It was gentle now, deep and loving while still full of passion. He pulled back to allow her to breathe, only to continue to kiss her jaw line and down her throat, never loosening his hold on her.

Her hands had come up on their own and were wrapped in his hair. She had never experienced something so amazing before and once she had finally caught her breath she spoke again. "Sesshoumaru? I'm alright. I promise."

He paused in kissing her throat to answer. "This Sesshoumaru is sorry. I should never have allowed you to go into the forest without me."

She tugged gently at his hair, pulling his face back until she could see him. "It's not your fault. It's no ones fault. I seem to attract trouble. I'm sure Kazue and Kirara could have handled things if you hadn't gotten here so quickly. Everything is fine." She let go of his hair with one hand to touch his cheek gently. "Oh, and by the way, wow!"

He smirked at her. "Wow?"

"Yeah, wow. That was just, wow. That's the only way I can describe it at the moment. Wow."

"The children are coming." Within seconds the clearing was filled with the cries of eight young demons, each asking if she was alright, what had happened, and so on.

The demon lord that held her in his arm refused to let her go so she had to answer from where she stood. "I'm fine. Just an obnoxious demon with a shard. Your father took care of him."

Shippo jumped onto her shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay, mama? You felt scared."

"I was scared for a minute. I almost forgot what it felt like to be a demon magnet. But everything is fine. I promise."

"Sorry it took us so long to get to you. You were a lot further away then we had thought. I thought you were going to the village."

"I did go to the village, Shippo. Kaede needed me to gather some herbs for her and Sesshoumaru wanted to talk to her so I took Kirara and Kazue with me. He just caught me off guard is all. I don't know why I didn't feel the shard coming." Shippo snuggled into the crook of her neck that was not being occupied by a very tall inu. She reached her arm up and stroked his red hair gently. She was rather startled when Sesshoumaru lowered his hand to her ass and lifted her off the ground. Her legs wrapped automatically around his waist. Mokomoko wrapped around her waist for further support. "Shit, Sesshoumaru!" When he did not respond and instead began to walk away she called back to the pups. "Will one of you grab that basket? And my bow and arrows? I don't think he's planning on letting me go anytime soon."

Hitoshi grinned and Akihiro picked up the bow and quiver of arrows while Yuudai and Isamu knelt and picked up all the herbs that had spilled from the basket when she had dropped it before they all rushed to follow after her, still being carried by their father. He had been heading back towards the camp but she had ordered him to allow her to give the herbs to Kaede first, so he turned and headed back towards the village. It was a rather amusing procession, a miko wrapped around an inu taiyoukai who was further wrapped around her, a small kitsune still sitting on her shoulder. A large inu and a large fire neko trotted along on either side of said demon lord, and seven younger inus followed, one holding a bow nearly as tall as he was and a quiver of arrows and one of the smallest carrying a basket full of herbs.

Kaede had felt them coming and stepped out of her hut, nearly laughing aloud at the sight that greeted her. Kagome tried to explain to her the awkward position she was in as Isamu handed the elder miko the basket. She had barely finished when her tall demon captor turned again and walked directly into the camp. Sango, Miroku, and Rin had a much harder time holding in their laughter at the sight that came marching into the clearing. Shippo jumped from her shoulder to Miroku and launched into an explanation while Kirara and Kazue finally transformed into their smaller sizes.

Kagome had expected him to let her down once they had arrived but he didn't. Instead he walked straight through the clearing leaving the rest of the procession behind. Kagome merely sighed her frustration as he continued to walk. Apparently he had finally arrived at his destination as she was once again startled, this time because he had leapt from the ground straight into a tree. He arranged himself on a wide branch high off the ground before his hold loosened slightly.

It was quiet for a while before Kagome got tired of it. "Sesshoumaru? What in the world are we doing in a tree?"

He pulled back, having had his face buried once more in her neck, to look at her. "This Sesshoumaru needed a moment."

Kagome started to giggle. She could barely talk as her laughter grew with every second as she took in her surroundings. "You needed…(gasp) a moment? You needed a moment…in a **tree**?"

He raised an eyebrow at her now near hysterical laughter. "Perhaps you cannot handle the altitude?"

She smacked his shoulder softly. "Jerk. Now can you **please** tell me why we are in a tree?"

He looked at her while contemplating his answer. To be honest he wasn't really sure why they were in a tree, only that he had needed some time alone with her to get over the scare he had just suffered. Apparently a tree had seemed rather fitting at the moment, but how could he explain that to her? "I am not certain. I needed to be with you, to make sure you were safe, and this is where we ended up." The look on her face caused him to chuckle softly, which launched her into a whole new set of the giggles.

She had her face buried in his shoulder as she attempted to stop laughing and catch her breath. When she was fairly sure she could open her mouth without laughing again she decided to give talking a try. "So… I take it you were worried, then?" He merely looked at her. "Okay, okay. I know, thank you Captain Obvious." The strange look he gave her then made her lose her battle with the giggles again.

She had been laughing so long and so hard that she ended up with the hiccups. Sesshoumaru watched with interest, then, as she attempted to get rid of them by holding her breath. It was cute. Her cheeks puffed out and she closed her eyes tightly. He couldn't help himself and after removing his hand from its very comfortable location on her ass he, careful of the claws, poked her cheek causing the air to rush out. She opened her eyes and attempted to scold him, except that it was rather hard as her hiccups had not yet surrendered their hold on her esophagus. She gave up trying to talk out loud and instead decided to scold him mentally. It was easier anyway.

'Sesshoumaru! I was trying to get rid of these damn hiccups! What in the world possessed you to poke me?' She watched as he smiled at her as she hiccupped once again. 'Oh, you!' She leaned in and before she knew what she was doing she was kissing him. It was slow and passionate, long and deep, and by the time she pulled back for air she noticed that her hiccups were gone! "Huh. Never knew kissing was a cure for the hiccups. Or maybe it's just you. So…how long are we going to spend in the tree?"

"Until I am ready to let you go, so it may be a long wait. Maybe you should have brought a book."

"Keep it up mister, and I might just have to kiss you again."

"As if this Sesshoumaru would want you to stop? I am sorry to disappoint you but that is a very poor threat."

She let out a sigh and settled her head back on his shoulder, his hand now moving gently up and down her back. "You do know that Miroku and Sango will never let me hear the end of this, right? Especially Miroku. The longer we're gone the more hentai thoughts he'll come up with."

"This Sesshoumaru does not care and neither should you." They fell silent then and he sat listening to her heart beat and her breathing until she had fallen asleep. He still didn't want to let her go but he knew the others would get worried if they stayed gone much longer. He grudgingly dropped to the ground, doing so without jostling the precious package in his hold a bit. His hand once again held her ass to keep her from sliding down and he walked back into the camp. Miroku went to open his mouth but was stopped by the slayer who put her hand over it before shushing him. No one else attempted to speak as they all knew she was asleep. He leapt into the tree his brother had earlier occupied and merely held her, watching as everyone down below ate a silent dinner and settled in to sleep.

Sesshoumaru was more comfortable than he had been in a long time. Kagome lay still, breathing deeply with her head on his right shoulder, her nose touching his neck. Her legs were still wrapped tightly around his waist and right arm hung around his neck, her left wrapping around his back. His hand rested on her lower back, his legs stretched out in front of him along the branch. Her scent and aura completely surrounded his entire being and he felt amazingly whole, complete, and perfect. She made him feel perfect. He was definitely not looking forward to dawn, but knowing it would eventually come he spent every moment just reveling in the feeling. About halfway through the night he felt her stir and looked down, watching and waiting for her to speak.

"Sesshoumaru?" she whispered.

"Yes, Kagome?"

"Are we still in the tree?"

"Yes, Kagome."

"Just don't drop me, okay?" she said before a yawn took over. She snuggled back into him and drifted off, leaving a smiling demon lord to hold her close.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he whispered back, knowing she couldn't hear him. She trusted him so much that she had already gone back to sleep.

Dawn came much too quickly and Sesshoumaru found himself wishing he could pause time to stay like this for just a little longer. The run rose slowly over the horizon and despite his best attempts to shield her eyes from the light she once again stirred in his hold.

When Kagome woke she found herself feeling warm and safe. She turned her head on her pillow, which was rather furrier than she had remembered. When she opened her eyes all she could see was leaves, leaves everywhere. She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them to the same thing as before. Slowly she began to take in her surroundings, realizing her arms and legs were wrapped around something solid and warm. Then she felt the hand on her lower back. Suddenly it all came back to her. "I'm still in a tree, aren't I?" She felt him nod. "You need to let me down." When he didn't move she leaned back and looked him in the eyes. "You need to let me down, now."

"I would rather not."

She smiled slightly. "Well, that's just too bad because I have to go to the bathroom." She watched confusion begin to cloud his eyes. "Ugh, damn. I need to teach you more about my time. I have to pee, alright?" She watched with suspicion as he smiled.

"What if I refuse to let you down?"

"I promise, you're not gonna like it. Now **put me down!"** He grudgingly obeyed, dropping to the forest floor. Her legs unwound and he lowered her until her feet touched the ground. He released her with both his hand and his fur and watched with a grin as she ran off into the bushes.

"Where is she going, father?" Shinji asked, now standing beside his father.

"The miko apparently had a great need for privacy." Shinji looked up at him with confusion. "Never mind. She will be back in a moment." He turned and watched as the rest of the current residents of the clearing woke slowly. A moment later he felt an arm slip around his waist from behind.

"You're not very nice, you know," she whispered into his back. He smiled as she slipped around to rest her face on his chest, her other arm wrapping around him as well.

"If I am so terrible then why are you holding me?"

"I don't know," she whispered again. "I just don't know. I'm hungry. Why don't you make yourself useful and go find us some breakfast."

"Am I to understand that I am not being 'useful' at the moment?"

"Eh, it's debatable. I'm hungry. Take the boys with you." She released him then before plopping down next to Sango, who was sitting by the fire, and resting her head on her sister's shoulder. They watched as Sesshoumaru summoned the pups and kit and led them away.

"Where are they going?" Sango asked with a yawn.

"To find us something good for breakfast." Kagome opened her arms as Rin approached, still rubbing the sandman crusties from her eyes with one hand as the other held a small black dog. Apparently Kazue had made another friend. Kagome smiled at the sight of the tiny inu cradled in the little girl's arm. Rin settled in her arms and immediately fell back to sleep, Kazue taking her place at Kagome's feet.

Miroku managed to sit up and looked at them. "Why, good morning, ladies. It is nice to see you back on the ground Lady Kagome."

"I'm not awake enough to deal with you, monk. Start the fire back up, would ya?" she asked with a half smile that ended in another yawn.

"Still so tired, Kagome? I would have figured you would have slept like a baby." Sango grinned. "Or did he keep you up all night?"

"Sango, you are getting just as bad as the monk! I slept just fine. Amazingly well, actually."

"Hmm. And why was it that he refused to put you down?"

"Boar demon attacked me. Had a shard. Sesshoumaru killed it. Apparently he was worried."

"So then I was right before?"

"Yeah, yeah. You were right. He likes me. Said he's drawn to me, that his beast is drawn to me. He makes a great pillow, let me tell ya."

"So then you have feelings for him as well then Kagome?" Miroku asked while arranging kindling in the now barely smoldering fire pit.

"I wasn't sure before. I thought maybe I did. But when he kissed me yesterday I thought I had died and found my way to heaven. So yes, Miroku, I believe I do have feelings for him as well. And you can keep your hentai thoughts to yourself."

"So did he ask you yet?"

"Ask me what? Oh, if he could court me? Nope, hasn't mentioned a thing. He was so sweet night before last when I had to heal his leg. He tore it open, you know, jumping into the well. I had to heal the whole thing. He tore out the stitches and made it so much worse than it was. Anyway, off topic. Blah. Oh, yeah. He was so sweet. He said he would give me as long as I needed. I said we needed to get to know each other better." Miroku smiled at the girls before walking a bit away, also having a need for bushes. "Oh, Sango. I wanted to talk to you about something before Miroku gets back. Sesshoumaru told me that there is a way for you to bond with Kirara if you want, so you can understand her. She already agreed to it. You'd be able to hear her thoughts in your head and you could talk silently to her. Might come in handy in a battle situation."

"Really? I've never heard of that."

"I don't think many humans have. Demons don't bond with humans that often. And she couldn't tell you about it because she couldn't talk to you. She probably figured you wouldn't want to anyway, being a demon slayer."

Sango nodded. "Father probably knew about it and never told me. We demon slayers never bonded with our demon partners. Not sure why, really. So do you know what I have to do?"

"Sure do. I did it with Kazue when Sesshoumaru gave her to me. That's how she got my mark. Don't tell anyone though. The less people who know the better. We can do it later today. She said she wanted to bond with me as well, but I wanted to wait. It's only right for you to do it first."

They both fell silent as Miroku returned with some dried leaves and twigs and watched as he added them to the fire. "Would you mind doing the honors, Kirara?" he asked the small cat sitting near the girls. They all watched as Kirara transformed before placing one of her flaming feet next to the kindling. It caught immediately and was a nice warm blaze against the early morning chill in moments. Kirara returned to her tiny form and settled next to Kazue, both sitting near the huddle of girls. They all sat watching the flames, no one quite ready to move too much. Instead they waited for the hunting party to return with their morning meal. 


	38. Memories of a Demon Lord

**Chapter 38 – Memories of a Demon Lord**

The group had returned with a large deer, or what used to be a large deer. They had gutted and skinned it; bring back nice slabs of meat. By then Sango and Kagome were awake enough to move and, after carefully laying a still sleeping Rin back on the bedding, set about cutting it into cubes and skewering them to cook over the flames.

The boys and Sesshoumaru had actually taken down three deer, having been fairly hungry themselves, but since they had wanted theirs raw they chose to eat away from camp. They weren't sure how Kagome would react. It had taken Shippo a minute to try it. He hadn't eaten anything uncooked since he had met Kagome. She had always prepared his food. But once he did try it the little fox remembered how much better it was fresh and bloody and had gorged himself until his little tummy puffed out. They had washed their hands and faces in the stream before returning, making sure to leave no evidence behind.

When the meat was finished cooking Kagome offered some to the boys and had been surprised when they said they weren't hungry. She glanced at Sesshoumaru who had explained silently and very carefully, all the while watching her reaction. He had expected her to be bothered by it. Most humans would be. But then once again Kagome was not like other humans. She simply nodded and told the others to dig in.

Miroku ended up eating too much and was now lying on his back moaning about his poor stomach. Sango simply laughed at him while Kagome searched around the area for a few minutes before finding what she was looking for. She picked it and handed it to the moaning monk. "Here, chew on this. It will help you feel better faster." He looked at her with love plainly visible in his eyes before thanking her and taking the herb.

She had woken Rin to eat as well and once everyone was full, or over full as the case may be, Kagome and Sango gathered their things to go wash up. Kagome had long ago taught Sango of the benefits of brushing her teeth and ever since the slayer had had her own brush and toothpaste. Kagome excused them, telling Sesshoumaru they would return shortly. He had been very reluctant to let her go but eventually gave in after making sure she took her bow and arrows and that Kazue and Kirara were following.

After a good tooth brushing and face washing Kagome explained to Sango the process and watched as the fire cat bonded with her long time companion and friend. She watched as Sango nearly cried when she first heard Kirara speak to her. After a few minutes Kirara completed the process with Kagome, ending up with a pink teardrop of her own. No mark had shown up when Sango had done it though, so Kagome had one more question to pose to the demon lord. It seemed like every time one question was answered two more sprang up.

When they returned to camp Kagome stretched out her senses, searching for her missing hanyou. Finding no trace of him she asked Sesshoumaru. "Can you feel Inuyasha anywhere? I can't sense him so he must be pretty far away."

The demon lord extended his own senses and also came up empty. "I cannot sense him either. I'm sure he is fine."

"Yeah, Kagome. He probably just needed some time alone to think. I'm sure he will return soon." Miroku tried to ease her worries but fell short.

"I guess it's possible, but he left without saying anything. Not that he could, though. Probably still couldn't talk since his jaw was broken and all." She shot a playful glare at the taiyoukai leaning against a tree trunk. She stood then, and gathered her books once more. "I'm going to find a nice shady place to study. You guys wanna go play in the field you were in yesterday?" She received a chorus of positive responses and began to walk away. She was stopped short however when a clawed hand landed on her shoulder. "Yes? Can I help you?" she asked as she turned to him with a grin. He simply took the books from her hands and walked away, leaving her to run to catch up.

They had settled under the same tree as the day before, both watching as the children ran and played. After a while Kagome turned to him. "So when do you want to start sharing the memories you want to show Inuyasha? Have you decided which ones you want to use yet?"

"Yes, I have decided. There are quite a few, though, so I believe it would be best if we do so over a period of a few days rather than all at once. I do not wish to overwhelm you. And you do have studying to do as well."

"Alright, then why don't you show me some and I'll show you some. Then I'll study for a while and we can do it again. A couple a day should be good, right?" He nodded at her and watched as she lay back in the grass. "So, you want to start?"

He lay next to her, thinking for a moment, trying to decide where to start. Eventually he chose and concentrated. Soon Kagome found herself back at the palace, in the same room as she had slept in.

Start Memory

In front of her lay a beautiful but very tired looking demoness, her body propped up by pillows. She had long silver hair and markings identical to those of Sesshoumaru graced her cheeks and forehead. Her skin was pale, much more pale than could be healthy. Kagome could tell she was ill. Glancing around the room she caught her reflection, seeing a young Sesshoumaru who looked very much like Yoshikazu, maybe a little older, but with sad, puffy eyes, tears sliding slowly down his cheeks. The sorrow that surrounded him was evident and Kagome could tell not only from the reflection but because she could feel his fear and despair as if it were her own.

"Mother, please don't leave me. I cannot do this without you. Don't leave me alone."

"You will not be alone my son. Your father will be with you." Her voice was low and strained, as if the simple act of talking was more than she could bear.

"That's not the same and you know it! He doesn't care about me. He doesn't love me, mother. All that matters to him is that he has an heir."

"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru. I don't want to leave you. I don't. I love you. I will always love you, even after I am gone. Promise me you will not forget what I have told you. You are important, my son. You are destined for great things, so long as you do not close your heart." She reached out for him, her arms shaking with strain as she lifted them, and he moved closer, resting his head on her chest near her shoulder and feeling her run her hands though his hair. Her movement slowed and then her hands dropped to her sides. He pulled back to look at her. Her eyes were closed. She looked like she was merely sleeping but he knew differently. He could no longer hear her heart beat. She was gone and he was alone.

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Before Kagome could think about what she had just seen she found herself standing in a dojo looking up at a demon who had to have been Sesshoumaru's father. He was yelling, disappointed once again with his son. She listened to his angry words as he 'taught' his son how to be the Lord of the Western lands.

"Your mother is dead, Sesshoumaru. Forget about her. There is no reason for tears. There is never a reason for tears. The heir of the western lands does not cry! It is despicable. Let no one see what you are feeling. Never let feelings take precedence. They are useless, unnecessary. All that matters is your power. You need to train harder!" He turned his back on the boy, his son by blood alone. "You will train until you get it right. You will study until you have learned. You disappoint me, Sesshoumaru. Do not let it happen again." The demon stormed out of the room and several demons dressed as guards entered and began to attack. The child fought them off without effort, knocking them away as it they were mere dolls. All the while she could feel the devastation in Sesshoumaru's heart and soul. His mother had only just died days before but he had been allowed no time to mourn. His father acted as if she had never existed at all.

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The scene had changed again and now she could see Sesshoumaru's father holding a woman, a human woman, declaring his love and devotion. Kagome could feel the surprise young Sesshoumaru had felt, the jealousy he held for the woman who was worthy of his father's attentions when he himself was not. She could feel the anger that his father could love this woman but never cared for his mother. How was she better? What was it about her that made her worthy? What could he do to get his father's approval? The woman turned slightly and Kagome could see her swollen stomach. It was then she realized who she was looking at. The human woman was Izayoi and she was pregnant with Inuyasha.

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Now she could see Izayoi resting in a beautiful bed, propped up with pillows in the same manner as his mother had been. It was not, however, the room she had seen earlier. This room was done up in reds rather than the silver and blues of his mother's chambers. Izayoi was holding a small bundle, looking down at it with love. She watched from the foot of the bed where the young Sesshoumaru stood, curious about the bundle. It did not smell the same as he or his father. She saw as Lord Inutaisho walked in, completely ignoring the young boy standing there as he approached the smiling woman and took the bundle in his arms.

"His name shall be Inuyasha. He is a beautiful child, Izayoi, my love. Perfect in every way." Young Sesshoumaru watched in silent pain as his father cooed at the child, whispering of his love and devotion. Without even lifting his head to take his eyes off his new son he spoke to his heir. "Sesshoumaru, there is no reason for you to be present. You should be training. Go."

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The scene had changed again. Inuyasha was no longer a baby now as Sesshoumaru watched from the distance as his father played with the young hanyou, smiling and laughing. When he caught sight of his elder son, however, his smile disappeared. He set the younger boy down before walking over to Sesshoumaru.

"Sesshoumaru, you are never going to be strong enough to rule over the western lands. You should be attending to your studies. Not standing around wasting time. Perhaps I should make Inuyasha my heir. Surely he would do a much better job than you." Inutaisho turned and returned to little Inuyasha, lifting him in his arms and into a hug. "I love you, Inuyasha. Your daddy loves you. You are such a smart boy. I know you will grow up to make me proud." Once more Kagome could feel the jealousy and pain young Sesshoumaru was feeling. No matter how hard he tried it was never enough.

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The scene changed once more. Sesshoumaru was running in the gardens playing with his younger half-brother. Their father was no where to be seen. Kagome could feel the love he felt for his little brother despite the jealousy. He knew it wasn't Inuyasha's fault that their father loved one son and ignored the other. They stopped running and the little hanyou was panting, trying to catch his breath. "It's not fair! You can run faster than me!"

"You will run faster, Inuyasha, when you are older. One day you will be a match for me. Just wait and see."

The little boy with puppy ears looked up at his brother with pure amazement in his eyes. "I love you, Sesshy."

"Inuyasha, I have asked you not to call me that." Kagome could feel the conflict inside him. He loved his brother too, but he had been taught not to feel, that love was merely a weakness. He longed to tell Inuyasha that he loved him as well, but found he could not.

"But why not, Sesshy? Your name is too long," the little boy whined.

"Fine. Fine. You can call me whatever you want, little brother." The little hanyou smiled up at him, and the young demon heir felt his heart break just a little. As long as his father was around he could never truly be the brother he wished he could be. He was more or less ordered to stay away from the precious second son, as if his very presence could taint the child with his inadequacy.

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The scene shifted from the bright sunlight of the gardens to the dim light in another room she recognized. It hadn't changed much at all, she noted, from how it appeared before her now. Sesshoumaru was sitting behind the desk in his study, reading a scroll over and over again. She read through the scroll as he did once more. He could not bring himself to react to the words there. His father was dead. He had been killed. He was the Lord now.

She saw as he sat for hours agonizing over his decision before he stood and left the study, finding Izayoi in her chambers, crying. He sat beside the human woman he had felt such jealousy towards and now he found himself feeling sadness for her. He could not mourn himself for the loss of his father, but he felt for her. She was alone now, with a hanyou child and no husband and mate to protect her. He held the crying woman, trying to comfort her, before he spoke.

"You will not be safe here. You must take Inuyasha and leave. When word spreads of father's death there will be attacks on the palace. I cannot defend the west and protect you and my brother at the same time. I do not trust the servants. Many did not agree with father's decision to mate with a human and now that he is gone they may attempt to kill you and the boy." She nodded her head. "Can you return to your family?" She nodded again. "Then we must hurry. No time can be wasted. I will escort you myself."

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The last thing Kagome saw was young Inuyasha waving good-bye as he walked away from Izayoi's family's palace. Sesshoumaru did not wave back, but he did smile softly at the boy for a moment. Kagome could feel his turmoil. He did not want to trust their protection to others but if he did not he was sure they would be killed. He was certain his decision had been the right one. Her family would protect them until the danger was over and then he would retrieve them and bring them home to the western palace. But until then, he knew he had a difficult fight ahead of him. He would not allow another to take control of the west. Though his father had never given him praise or approval he refused to let him down now, when it really mattered. He would protect the lands, keep control, and let it be known to all that he was now the Lord of the Western Lands and that none would defeat him.

End Memory

When Kagome opened her eyes again the sun was shining and she could see a clear blue sky. She sat up then and looked around. Sesshoumaru sat up beside her. It was then she noticed the crowd of children surrounding them.

"Mama! Are you alright?" Shippo cried out.

"What happened?"

"Why are you crying?"

"Are you hurt?"

"What was happening?"

"Why didn't you answer when we called you?"

"It was like you were in a trance or something!"

"We were so worried!"

The rush of questions and statements from the rest of the children left her head spinning. She glanced at Sesshoumaru who immediately put a stop to it. "Silence," was all he said and everyone stopped mid-word. He then reached out and wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb. "Please do not cry. This Sesshoumaru did not mean to upset you."

It was then she noticed that she was indeed crying. She sniffled and wiped her cheeks with her sleeve before looking at the children who still looked worried. "I'm fine guys, really. Don't worry about me. Go on and play." No one looked like they bought it but after a glance at the demon lord they obeyed, all walking off to the middle of the field. As soon as they had gone a ways away Kagome turned to the taiyoukai at her side. "Sesshoumaru. Oh, I'm sorry! I had no idea." She sniffled again. She surprised him then as she slid quickly into his lap, throwing both arms around his neck. "I had no idea," she whispered into his neck.

He moved his hand to run his fingers through her hair. "It is all in the past, but it is all things I wish for Inuyasha to understand. He has very little memory of the time he spent with me as a child and I doubt he has any idea how things really were. Please, do not cry for me."

"Why not? Who else is going to? Oh, Sesshoumaru. You must have been so lonely! I never knew! I never even imagined you could be so alone."

"This Sesshoumaru is no longer alone." His voice was low as his mouth was next to her ear. "I am no longer lonely."

She leaned back to look into his eyes, her arms coming up from around his neck, her hands now cupping his cheeks. "You will never have to be lonely again," she whispered before she kissed his lips softly. "Never again." With a sigh she snuggled down into him again, burying her face in his neck and twirling his hair in her fingers. "I have to say, you are quite comfortable."

He smiled before responding. "Am I now? Well, I suppose it is a good thing then that I enjoy holding you like this."

"I'm glad, cuz you make a great pillow." She squirmed a bit to make herself comfortable before sighing again, her breath tickling the skin of his neck.

"I believe it is your turn to share."

She nodded against his shoulder, unwilling to move. "What do you want me to show you?"

He thought about it for a while, unsure of what he wished to see the most. Eventually he decided. "Show me something happy. Show me something with your family and friends, a good memory."

She thought back for a minute before choosing and then concentrated on the memory she had chosen to share.

Start Memory

The first thing Sesshoumaru saw was Kagome, only she appeared younger. She was looking in a mirror and playing with her hair. Then he heard a voice. "Kagome! Hurry up dear! Everyone will be here soon!"

"I'm coming, Mama!" she called back. After another moment and the careful arrangement of a few unruly strands of hair she stood and walked through a door. She hopped down a flight of stairs and stepped into a room full of color. The room, which he guessed to be a dining room from the large table covered in bright colored plates and cups, was covered in streamers and balloons, not that he knew what they were. There was a sign hanging over the staircase that read "Happy Birthday Kagome!" While Kagome looked around he noticed an older man, who he guessed was her grandfather, and a younger boy who was most likely her brother both sitting on a large bench like chair that appeared to be heavily padded in the next room, which was also decorated with bright orbs and strands of what looked like paper?

The scene appeared to freeze and he heard her voice. "The orbs are balloons. They're filled with air and are used as decorations. The long things are streamers. This is my house. We were in my bedroom. This is the dining room, and through there is the living room. You're right. That's gramps and Souta sitting on the couch. This is my thirteenth birthday party. I picked this one because I remember having a ton of fun."

The scene unfroze then and he heard a knock at the door. She turned and moved to answer it. When she opened the door there were three young girls waiting, all appearing to be of similar age to Kagome. "Yuka! Eri! Ayumi! Come in! You're the first ones here!" He watched as more and more young people arrived, girls and boys, all bringing brightly wrapped packages that they set in a steadily growing pile. Music was coming from somewhere and the partygoers and Kagome began to dance. They drank some sort of fizzy drink poured from odd bottles, and everyone was smiling and laughing. One boy approached her and asked to dance with her. He could feel her excitement and jealousy reared up inside him for a moment.

Sensing it the scene froze again. "The boy is Hojo. He goes to the same school I do. He reminds me of Kouga sometimes. He is always asking me out, but I'm not interested. He's just too boring. I forgot that I danced with him at the party. I thought he was cute then, and all the girls were jealous that he wanted to dance with me instead of them. Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi are my best friends in my time, but we don't really see each other much anymore since I am always in the past. Oh, and the fizzy stuff, that's soda. It's a liquid that has carbonation, bubbles, put into it when they make it. If you want I can bring you some to try. Miroku especially likes it."

Things started moving again and he heard her mother saying it was time to open the presents. He watched then as she tore the bright patterned papers off the packages, finding all sorts of different things which she identified for him as they went along. After that came cake, which he found very interesting looking. He had never seen a birthday cake before and the tiny candles intrigued him. Eventually the party came to an end, the guests leaving one by one, each wishing her a happy birthday. He watched as Kagome and her family cleaned up before each giving her their gifts. The memory ended with Kagome carrying piles of gifts up to her room before dropping to her bed, exhausted but smiling.

End Memory

She picked up her head from his shoulder to look at him. "Nothing special. But it did give you a look at my house, my family, and my friends, as well as some of the things from my time. You know, I fell through the well on my fifteenth birthday. I'm going to be seventeen in a few weeks."

"So then your birthday is approaching?"

"Yeah. I made it home it last year, but I'll be here this year."

"So you will not be having a 'party' as you called it then?"

"No. It would be nice to see all my friends before I leave for a while but the only time I could have a party would be after exams. I don't need a party. I don't need presents. I'm happy just to be here with my friends."

He fell silent, deep in thought. He needed to find out exactly what day was her birthday. He wanted to give her a gift. She had already given him one for no reason and giving gifts was apparently tradition in her time for celebrating one's birth. He didn't know what yet, but he was determined to think of something good.


	39. A Mother's Message and A Son's Secret

**Chapter 39 – A Mother's Message and a Son's Secret**

Kagome had eventually forced herself from her comfortable resting place to do some more studying. This time she read her science book and Sesshoumaru had chosen her history book. Once more he was rather disturbed by the complete lack of demons. There was no mention of them, even in the sections that spoke of what he had determined to be his time period. Eventually Akihiro had joined them and taken hold of her literature book. After several hours Kagome decided if she studied anymore her brain would leap out of her ear in protest and closed the book. The whole group of them returned to camp for lunch.

It wasn't too much longer before Jaken landed Ah Un in the clearing, sliding down from the two headed dragon before digging through the saddle bags, retrieving a bundle of scrolls. He toddled over to the seated demon lord, bowing low near his feet. "My Lord, I have retrieved the scrolls as requested and also have a message from the head servant. Everything in the palace is going smoothly. He did want me to inform you, though, that they had spotted the wind witch flying around a few days ago." Sesshoumaru nodded and took the scrolls from his small green servant.

Kagome took the time to look over the children, deciding a bath was in order. "You guys are absolutely filthy. It's bath time. Come on. Everyone get something clean to change into. Sango, you want to join me?" Sango nodded and soon there was a small procession heading from the campsite to the hot spring. Kagome changed into her bikini in the bushes and ordered the boys into the water while having Rin face the opposite direction. When all the boys were in the spring Rin sat down beside Sango to chat while Kagome began a cycle, washing each boy's hair and making sure they washed their faces before handing them a bar of soap and a washcloth and moving on to the next. It took her nearly an hour to wash all eight heads and one tail and when they were finished, dried, and dressed Kagome sent them back to camp.

It was while they were dressing that Kagome took note of the differences in their clothing. She was surprised that she had never noticed it before. Each wore the same style of clothing as their father but each had a different combination of colors. They wore no armor and rather than a long flowing sash they each wore an obi that matched the lesser color of their attire. Yoshi's was the exact opposite of Sesshoumaru's, mostly red with the honeycomb and flower pattern in white on the collar, sleeves, and shoulder, his obi being white as well. Shin's was a light blue with dark blue detail, with a dark blue obi. Hisoka wore a deep forest green with white detail and Hitoshi wore white with the pattern in a reddish brown color. Akihiro wore white with royal purple detail. Isamu wore white with orange and Yuudai had white with yellow. Each one's colors seemed to suit their personalities and she found herself wondering if they had chosen the colors themselves or if they had been selected for some specific reason. She had never seen Sesshoumaru in anything but his normal white and red, even in the painting in her room at the palace or in the memories he had shared.

Once the boys had all gone, Sango and Rin then joined Kagome in the spring for their own bath. Kagome washed Rin's hair as well, taking extra care to remove all the snags. The energetic little girl actually managed to sit still while Kagome worked which made everything easier. When Rin was done she dried and dressed in another orange and yellow kimono, this one's pattern in squares where the previous had been circles. She was then carried back to camp by Kazue. Kirara remained with Kagome and Sango who were taking their time enjoying the heat of the water soothing their muscles.

The conversation was quickly directed to Sesshoumaru and Kagome, by Sango of course. "So, are you two getting to know each other then?"

Kagome nodded before dunking under the water to wet her hair. "Yeah, he's telling me about himself and his past and I'm doing the same. We're kind of taking turns. Oh, Sango. I feel so bad for him, too. His father wasn't very nice to him. His mother died when he was little. I never had any idea, you know? It explains, though, why he always seemed so cold. His father had trained him to be like that."

"That's terrible. At least he's opening up then."

"Yeah. It's nice that he trusts me enough to share such private things. His life hasn't been all flowers and sunshine, that's for sure. And Inuyasha thinks that everything came so easy for Sesshoumaru. I think half the problem between those two is jealousy. Each one is jealous of the other for things they had no control over. And it doesn't help that Inuyasha blames Sesshoumaru for his mother's death. He won't even let him try to explain things, either."

"Inuyasha's had a hard time too, though. Maybe he's just afraid he'll end up hurt if he lets his brother in."

"Definitely possible. I hope he comes back soon. The new moon is coming and he shouldn't be alone then. He could be attacked and there would be no one to help him."

"I'm sure he'll come back. He seems to be having a hard time with the whole thing. You know the whole fight Miroku told you about was because he was suspicious of Sesshoumaru. Apparently he didn't agree when Miroku said he thought Sesshoumaru liked you. He was sure he was after something else entirely, even suggested he was after the jewel. And he said that pack and honor meant nothing to Sesshoumaru. I think that was what made him so upset. He flat out told Inuyasha he was interested in you and told him to keep him mouth shut about it. At least, that's how Miroku explained it."

"So everyone knew he liked me before I did?"

"Just about. I'm sorry Kagome, but sometimes you just seem so naïve. It was obvious to Miroku and I. Even Inuyasha had suspicions, even if he didn't want to believe it."

"I just can't understand why he likes me of all people. He could have any beautiful demoness he wants and instead he chose me? I'm not even that pretty. I'm just a human. And he said that I'm powerful but I'm not really. Inuyasha said so all the time. I'm nowhere near as powerful as Kikyo was."

"You need to stop listening to Inuyasha. You know he didn't mean most of what he said. He apologized, didn't he?" She waited until Kagome nodded. "And you are most definitely pretty. You're beautiful, Kagome. And powerful. Just because you're not trained doesn't mean you don't have power. You're practically overflowing with it! Miroku and Kaede can sense it. They said there's like a well of untapped power in you just waiting to be let out. You are the one who is going to fix the jewel and kill Naraku. The scroll says so and it was right about everything else. You just need to have some more confidence! If only you could see yourself the way everyone else does."

Kagome looked skeptical but eventually nodded. "I suppose. It's just; I spent the last two years being compared to a dead girl. If someone tells you something enough times eventually you start to believe it."

"Well then I guess you'll just have to listen to Sesshoumaru over and over again until you believe him instead then. Because he's right. Inuyasha just doesn't know how to deal with his feelings honestly and you've always confused him. Can you hand me the shampoo?" Kagome gave her the bottle and then dunked to rinse the shampoo from her own foamy locks. The two fell silent as they finished bathing, Kagome having a lot to think about and Sango knowing it. By the time they had returned to the camp site it was getting dark.

"Sesshoumaru, can you sense Inuyasha yet? I'm getting worried about him." She watched as he extended his senses again. When he shook his head no she spoke silently. 'The night of the new moon is coming and he shouldn't be alone then.'

"I'm sure he will return soon. There is no reason to worry." He watched then as Kagome and Sango made a quick dinner using the leftover meat from breakfast that had been cooking slowly in a pot all day, making it nice and soft. She read the children a few stories by firelight until her yawning took over making reading impossible. She and the children snuggled up together and fell asleep quickly.

Once they were asleep Sesshoumaru began reading the scrolls Jaken had retrieved. Nothing exciting had happened. His sentries had nothing new to report. No important news had been sent by the other lords. Using one of Kagome's books as a writing surface he pulled out the box holding the pens Kagome had given him and gave one a try, writing on the pieces of parchment Jaken had also retrieved. He found it quite easy to use and had written all his replies and instructions in no time. He rolled them all up and tied them together for Jaken to take back to the palace in the morning. As long as things continued on like this he would have no problems traveling with his new, larger pack. But then, it is always when you hope for peace and quiet that trouble comes to find you.

And speaking of trouble, he suddenly felt something that did not belong close to his camp, to his pack. He rose silently and, after getting Kazue's attention and telling her to be on guard, crept quietly towards the intruders. They were close by, too close for comfort and within seconds he had spotted them. The bees, saimyosho, that Naraku used as his spies were approaching. It was a small swarm, probably hoping to avoid detection. With just a few flicks of his wrist they had all been dispatched by his youki whip but he spent the rest of the night surveying the area carefully, making sure none had escaped him. He would not allow them to report back to the enemy.

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When she woke Kagome did not immediately see the demon lord who had been sitting close by the night before. For a moment she was flooded with worry. Inuyasha had disappeared while she slept and now Sesshoumaru was gone as well. He had immediately felt her distress and returned. When she saw him enter the clearing she let out a sigh of relief. "I was afraid you had disappeared on me too."

"This Sesshoumaru detected a small swarm of Naraku's insects during the night. I was making sure I had killed them all, that no more were lurking."

"Oh. So then do you think Kagura was telling the truth? About Kanna and the mirror I mean?"

"It is a possibility. The wind witch has come to me several times requesting that I kill Naraku for her. She has even offered me shards in the past."

"If she really did want to help us she could lead us to him. If he wasn't so good at hiding we may have killed him by now."

"I do not believe we should trust her at the time being. There are other things that need to be done before you will face the hanyou." Kagome nodded before standing, being careful not to wake the children as she disentangled herself. He watched her intently, waiting to see what she intended to do. It was still early, barely past dawn, and he had expected her to go back to sleep.

"So then you didn't sleep at all?" She looked concerned.

"This Sesshoumaru does not need to sleep every night. I am fine."

"Are you sure?" The look her gave her said everything for him. "Alright, alright. Big strong demon. Doesn't need something as useless as sleep, right? Whatever, tough guy. You know, I had the weirdest dream last night." He raised a brow at her, encouraging her to continue. "I was sitting on that bench in the garden. You know, where you gave me Kazue. And sitting there next to me was a beautiful demoness. I think it was your mother. She looked a lot like her in the memory you showed me, only she looked, I don't know, healthier." She could see that she now had his full attention. "She was talking to me, or trying to, but I couldn't hear her. It was really strange. I could hear a few words every now and then but most of it was missing. But I don't think she was talking to me, really. She said your name a few times. I think she was trying to talk to you."

"This Sesshoumaru had a similar dream several nights ago, the night after you passed through the well the first time."

"So it was your mother then?"

"It was. I could not understand her either. I have never dreamt of her before."

"Weird that I had it but she was talking to you. Maybe because you were awake all night and we share the connection. Do you think if we compared dreams we could figure out what she was trying to say?"

"It is possible. Since yours was most recent, you should share." Kagome nodded before trying to remember the dream clearly, to remember everything she had heard.

When she had finished showing him the whole dream he spoke. "It was the same. The same words, the same things missing."

"I wonder what she's trying to say. Do you have any idea? She said something about a dream she had, one she had told you about?"

"Yes, but this Sesshoumaru cannot remember. I have tried. She said something about something being buried and something about another scroll. To find the scroll."

"Yeah, and then she said Akihiro. And hidden on a shelf? Maybe Akihiro knows where the scroll is? He did tell me he had read most everything in the library. Maybe it's hidden there?"

"It is a possibility. I will have to speak with him later. Perhaps he will have some idea." She looked into his eyes, seeing the sadness hiding there.

"Sesshoumaru, I'm sure we will figure it out. Whatever it is, it must be important for her to try so hard to tell you. I'm sure you will be able to remember the dream she is talking about eventually. I always remember things as soon as I stop trying. Don't feel bad. She said she loves you. At the very end of the dream. That part was clear. She loves you Sesshoumaru, just like she did when she was alive. Right now that's all you need to remember." She had stepped closer as she spoke until she stood now directly in front of him, only inches separating the two.

"Thank you, Kagome. You are right. At least I got to see her again, hear her voice again, even if I did not understand it all. She still loves me." His arm slid around her waist and he pulled her closer. "There was one other thing that she spoke of that this Sesshoumaru now understands, and she was right. I love you, Kagome." He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips, just a touch before he pulled back to look into her eyes. He saw surprise there but happiness as well. The smile on her lips reached fully into her eyes, making her look all the more beautiful.

She didn't know what to say, but then she didn't really need to say anything at all. She could see just by looking at him that he was not waiting for a response. She wasn't ready yet, or even completely sure that she loved him but every day it seemed more and more right. She pushed up onto her toes to give him a quick kiss of her own before she slipped from his arms and moved towards the supplies. She picked up several empty water bottles and smiled again as she brushed past him on her way to the stream. As soon as she was out of sight everyone in the camp stopped pretending to be asleep, having each awoken some time during their discussion of the dream. Thankfully they had all missed their talking of shared memories, since neither of them had been paying attention to the others. Sango had a huge smile on her face but it was no match for the ones that dominated the faces of nine children at Sesshoumaru's declaration.

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The old woman smiled as she worked, carefully forming the beads necessary. She had been rather surprised when he had asked for the necklace. She knew he would want to go through the well, but to be willing to give Kagome the power to subjugate him at her whim? That was something she had never envisioned. But as far as she knew it was the only way the well would grant him passage. It was necessary for Kagome to have a measure of control over any who passed through. It was like the great Kamis' way of making sure the future was safe from any who would harm it.

She wondered then for a moment if Kagome would even agree to use it. She would have to put it on him as well as activate it. What word would the young miko use to subjugate the great taiyoukai and Lord of the Western Lands, demon feared by all? She had been rather amused by the choice she made for Inuyasha. Really, sit! What could be more fitting for the unruly inu hanyou that acted more like a spoiled puppy most of the time? But for the distinguished and deadly demon lord? She couldn't wait to find out. It was sure to be equally amusing.

She hoped the beads would in fact be strong enough to subjugate him at all. He was substantially more powerful than his younger brother and even if he did allow its use it was not guaranteed to work. It used the young miko's powers which Kaede knew to be abundant but she was unable to control most of it at her whim so it might not be enough. If something of his was included in its assembly then perhaps it would work with his own power as well. Deciding it would be worth a try she rose from her resting place and exited the hut, looking for a villager who would be willing to run a tiny errand for her. Once she spotted the young man and got his attention she made her request, to which he hesitantly agreed. He knew there were demons in the forest, more than usual. But he also knew that the sweet little miko Kagome, though a bit strange was there as well and he was sure she would keep him safe. For some reason she tended to be surrounded by demons, though they did not seem to pose her any danger. He was looking forward to seeing her again, even if it was just a glance. Perhaps he would even get a chance to speak with her if he was lucky enough. He said a silent prayer to the Kamis before he headed out of the village in the direction the elder miko had indicated.

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Sesshoumaru watched Kazue follow after Kagome before turning to his sons, meeting eyes with Akihiro. "I need to speak with you," he said and Akihiro nodded before following his father out of camp. They walked for a few minutes before he turned to look at his son. "Did you hear what I intend to ask you?"

"About a scroll in the library? Yes father. I am not sure though if I know of the one you are looking for. Did she say what it pertained to?"

Sesshoumaru thought for a moment, trying to remember the exact words he had heard. "She said 'Find the scroll…Akihiro…hidden in the…shelf. It will explain…the human child…to find.'"

Akihiro thought for a minute. "Do you think she's talking about Rin? The human child, I mean."

"It is possible."

"I need to think about it for a while, father. I read many scrolls in the library but none come to mind right now that could be the one you would be looking for." Sesshoumaru nodded and turned to walk back to camp. "Wait, father. There is something else I would like to speak to you about." His father nodded and he continued. "Two things really, but one has to do with the other. When the monk was reading the scroll, when he mentioned Sakimitama you looked worried. But you shouldn't be. You are it, father. You are her embodiment of love. I am certain of it."

The taiyoukai felt his heart speed up a bit. "And how are you so certain?"

"Well, first the clues. Known but unknown. She has known you since almost the very beginning of her time here, right father?" He waited for a nod and when he received it he continued. "But she didn't **really** know you. She's just really getting to know you now. And you fought your feelings for a while before you accepted it. You accepted your place after she saved us, right?"

Again Sesshoumaru merely nodded, his head now swimming in thought. Was it possible that Akihiro was right? Was the miko destined to be his? The very idea was enough to make his heart race. She had been responding so well to him the last few days since he had admitted his feelings to her, but to know that it was meant to be in the same way as she had been meant to be pulled through the well and meet her other companions, then she was sure to allow him to court her. She was sure to become his mate. The thought of there being no chance of rejection made his confidence jump up to new before unknown levels.

Akihiro had watched silently as his father allowed the information to sink in. Once he was sure he could hold his attention again he spoke once more. "Father, that is not all. When she came through the well when the wolf was there I saw the most amazing thing. Your aura and hers met, but instead of fighting against one another like I had expected, like a miko and youkai's should, they mixed. Your auras wrapped around each other, appearing to be building off of each other. It was beautiful. You know what that means, don't you father?" He watched his father for a response but he didn't seem capable to make one at the moment. "Your auras reacted to each other like only bonded youkai soul-mates should. For that to occur, your souls had to have recognized each other. She is your soul-mate."

Silence filled the clearing again as the information swirled in his mind. He had always found her aura calming but he had been too distracted to notice how his had interacted with her own at that moment. Now that he thought back, though, he could remember the feeling. It had felt as if they were, for a moment, not two beings but one, as if nothing had separated them, as if nothing could. Inside his beast was gloating rather loudly about how he was right all along. When he finally managed to shake his thoughts clear and get his beast to shut up for a minute he nodded at his son before turning and walking back to the camp. Akihiro smiled at his father's back for a moment before following. Things were going to turn out perfectly. He was sure of it.

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When Kagome returned with the newly filled water bottles she was met by two very excited young demons who were nearly bouncing up and down. "What is it? What are you two so excited about?"

"We wanna show you…" Isamu started.

"Our training! We've been practicing…" Yuudai went on as the two continuously finished each others thoughts.

"Really hard so we can help…"

"Keep you safe! Can we…"

"Show you?"

Kagome smiled at the two youngest and nodded. "Sure. I'd love to see what you've practiced." She sat down and watched as the show began. The twins punched and blocked, attacked and dodged each making use of their youki whips, a skill they had inherited from their father. She watched as they moved with demon speed. They weren't as fast as Sesshoumaru who could literally disappear and reappear in a new location but their speed was still impressive. They moved as if they were one, each fully anticipating the next move of the other just as well as they could finish each others thoughts. When they finished the two bowed low and Kagome clapped and congratulated them both. She then opened her arms to them and they made themselves comfortable in her lap, one sitting on each leg as she sat cross-legged. She had her arms wrapped around them both, making them the happiest kids around at the moment.

She watched as Sesshoumaru reentered the clearing looking rather dazed. Akihiro followed a bit behind, looking as if he had just found a whole new room full of books and scrolls, a huge grin on his face.

"What are you so happy about Akihiro?"

He glanced at her, surprised for a moment, before answering. "Oh, no reason really. It's just such a beautiful day, don't you think?" He smiled widely at her and his little brothers before settling under a tree, having claimed a textbook once again.


	40. Summoning Sesshoumaru, Whispered Words

**Chapter 40 – Summoning Sesshoumaru, Whispered Words**

When he had entered the clearing he was still swimming in his thoughts. She was his soul-mate, destined for him and him alone. There was almost nothing in the whole world that he would rather hear than what his son had just told him.

'Oh sure. You believe him right away. How many times did I tell you that?'

'_Fine, this Sesshoumaru has already admitted you were right.'_

'So tell her she's ours! Make her our mate!'

'_The miko would not take well to our declaring her our possession. And this Sesshoumaru intends to court her properly. You will have to be patient.'_

'But what of the wolf? He may return and challenge us for her. We should mark her now so there is no chance of losing her!'

'_If the wolf challenges he shall lose. There is no chance of losing her. She is destined for us. She will be our mate in time. She will be mother to our sons and Rin. She will be Lady of the West.' _His beast finally gave up and faded back into his subconscious. He sat against the base of a tree staring at the sky, just thinking of the implications of the words he had heard. She would love him. The beautiful Shikon miko whose arrival had been foretold five hundred years ago would be his.

Kagome was still sitting holding Isamu and Yuudai while looking from Akihiro to Sesshoumaru and back. The young demon was obviously only pretending to read, as he was constantly peeking over the edge of the book to look at her and his father. And Sesshoumaru had apparently fallen and hit his head because he looked like he was watching the pretty shiny stars circling him. Either that or he had eaten a bad mushroom. Either way he was obviously not on the same plane of existence as everyone else was at the moment.

"Hey, I'm gonna go see what's the matter with your father, okay guys?" she whispered between the heads of the two demons she held. Nodding, they slid from her lap to either side and she stood, moving slowly while watching Sesshoumaru closely as if she were afraid he would bite. "Sesshoumaru? Are you alright?" He didn't hear her so she knelt in front of him before waving her hands in front of his face. "Sesshoumaru? Are you hallucinating or something?" When he still failed to respond she caught his face in her hands, cupping his cheeks gently. At her touch his eyes finally focused on hers. "Are you alright?"

He smiled then before pulling her close for a soft kiss. "This Sesshoumaru is much more than alright."

"Is that so?" she asked while trying to hold back her giggles. "Then why did you look like you were toasted?" He made the 'I have no idea what you just said' face and she giggled more. "You looked like you were seeing things that weren't there or something."

"I was merely thinking."

"About what? And why does Akihiro look like that? He thinks I don't see him peeking over the top of the book." She said the last sentence louder than necessary and watched as the nosey little demon's eyes widened before disappearing completely behind the book causing Sesshoumaru to chuckle and Kagome to giggle uncontrollably. She stopped suddenly though when she heard a threatening growl vibrating from the demon she was practically laying on, his arm tightening slightly around her. "What is it?"

"There is a human male approaching."

"Oh, he's probably from the village. Maybe Kaede needs something." She removed herself from his hold and stood, with the taiyoukai rising immediately afterward. "Oh, calm down. He's just a human. Not gonna hurt me." He merely growled again as the villager came into sight looking rather hesitant. Kagome walked towards him, Miroku joining her.

"Hello," the monk started. "Is there something you need?"

The villager looked around, his eyes wide at the sight of all the demons. "Um…ah…I…"

"There's no reason to be frightened. No one's going to hurt you." Kagome smiled at the very nervous man in an attempt to reassure him.

Finally seeing the miko he had been hoping to find the villager smiled widely, instantly forgetting his fear. "Ah, the beautiful miko Kagome. I was hoping to see you." The growl that rumbled from the tall and very threatening demon standing a bit behind her made him freeze before looking at the monk who was shaking his head in the negative. "Lady Kagome, is that demon growling at me?"

Sesshoumaru very much wanted to remove the head of the fool from his shoulders, and his beast agreed wholeheartedly. 'Kill him. Kill him now. You saw the way he was looking at her. He wants her! She is ours!'

'_Calm yourself. We cannot kill him without good reason. Our mate would not approve. You don't want her to be angry with us again.' _His beast rumbled his agreement at that. He definitely didn't like it when she was angry with them, even if it was sexy. No, it was much better for her to be angry at someone else. Then they could enjoy the incredible way she looked and felt while angry without the consequences of having made her so.

Miroku placed a hand on his forehead. This guy was worse than he was! And oblivious! If he kept trying to flirt with Kagome he was going to end up in pieces on the ground and then Kagome would be mad at Sesshoumaru and everything would be ruined. He decided to intervene for the sake of peace and love. "Excuse me, but is there a reason you are here?"

The man frowned at the monk before reaching for Kagome's hand. As he held her right hand she reached behind her with her left, placing it on Sesshoumaru's side to stop the advancing inu who had just decided to rip his throat out. "Lady Kaede sent me."

'Kill him now! He's touching her!' The beast didn't understand why he was holding back. The foolish human should have been dead by now!

'_She does not want us to interfere. If she wishes for us to get involved we shall, and no earlier.'_

"Oh?" she asked politely while trying to pull her hand free of his. It wasn't working. "Does she need something?"

'She doesn't want him touching her. See, look, she's trying to pull her hand away!' Sesshoumaru growled for his beast to be silent. He could handle this without violence, as foreign as the idea seemed, as he knew she would not approve otherwise.

"I would recommend releasing the miko if you would like to keep your hand attached to your arm." Sesshoumaru didn't sound like he was kidding but the man still holding the miko's hand was quite sure of his safety in her presence. He was certain she would not allow a demon to attack him, so he ignored the warning.

'The insolent human ignores you! He will surely not ignore me! Let me out!'

'_You will not be released. Calm yourself! This is exactly why you are not allowed freedom. As much as I dislike it, attacking him is not an option. She would not forgive us if we killed him.'_

The tension in the air could be felt by everyone but the obviously mentally challenged villager. "I will never understand, Lady Kagome, why such a beautiful woman as yourself would spend your time in the company of demons." This time the vicious growl that was heard came from multiple directions as Sesshoumaru, his sons, Shippo, Ah, Un, Kazue, and Kirara all let their displeasure at his words be known. Even Jaken let out a little noise of distaste. This time he noticed. He would've had to be deaf not to. He dropped her hand suddenly as if it had burned him and watched as she stepped back into the demon standing directly behind her, his arm sliding around her waist.

'_You see, violence was not necessary. She prefers our touch.'_

"I happen to enjoy the company of demons. They are my friends. Now, I suggest you tell us what Kaede sent you for and leave before the Western Lord here decides to take offense to your words. I can only keep him from killing you for so long." Sesshoumaru smirked darkly over Kagome's shoulder at the now quivering man. The look promised a painful death if he did not run immediately, perhaps even if he did. Predatory demons did tend to enjoy the chase.

He was quite proud of her at the moment. Such a beautiful threat from such lovely lips. _'Our intended is quite capable of handling herself, as you can see. She defends us against the human. She chooses us.'_

"I tried to warn you," Miroku said mostly under his breath.

"L…L…Lady…K…K…Kae…Kaede…needs to…needs to…"

"Come one and spit it out already." Kagome let out an annoyed sigh.

"Lady Kaede needs to see someone named Sesshoumaru. She didn't tell me why." He spoke as quickly as possible before turning to run back to the village. Perhaps the miko was out of his league. It was rather amusing to watch him run as he kept glancing over his shoulder as if he expected to be followed, nearly stumbling several times.

Once the man was out of sight Kagome looked up over her shoulder. "Why would Kaede need to see you?"

Sesshoumaru looked down at her before encouraging her to turn around to face him. "I do not know, but I will go and find out. This Sesshoumaru rather enjoyed listening to you threatening the fool."

"Yeah, I'm sure you did," she said while smirking at him. "Do you really think it's a good idea for you to go into the village now?"

"I do not see why not. That human was touching you improperly."

"Improperly? He only held my hand. It wasn't like he grabbed my ass or something. Oh, yeah, like that. Good. A demonstration." The demon lord's hand had found its way down her back to cup her left cheek before giving it a nice squeeze.

"It was your idea, after all." He smirked at her before squeezing again. "And touching you at all was improper."

"Miroku, I think what you have is contagious!" she yelled over her shoulder at the smirking monk. "And you! I suggest you get your hand off my ass before I purify it."

"This Sesshoumaru believes that is an idle threat."

"Oh, just go already! See what Kaede wants with you. Maybe Miroku should go with you, just in case."

"This Sesshoumaru can handle this alone."

"I'm sure you can. It's not you I'm worried about. It's the villagers who get in your way. Someone needs to tell them to run." She reached around her back and wrapped her hand around his wrist before forcibly removing it from her soft rear end. "Behave yourself, okay?"

He smirked at her before leaning down beside her ear. "And what is my reward if I do?"

She grabbed the tip of a pointed ear, pulling it down to her lips. As she spoke her lips brushed his ear sending shivers throughout him. "I would be more worried about what you will get if you don't," was all she whispered before letting go and walking away to sit beside Sango who had a rather dazed expression on her face.

Sesshoumaru stood frozen for a moment before turning to the monk who instantly wiped the smirk off his face. "Monk, you will accompany me to the village to see what it is that the old miko needs." Miroku only nodded before following after the already stalking away demon.

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Kaede had not been surprised when the villager she had sent to Kagome's camp returned at a much higher speed than he left at. He had never been a bright one. The old woman merely shook her head as he blew past her where she stood outside the door to her hut. An "I told them!" was yelled over his shoulder, the man never slowing down. It was only a few more minutes before she saw Sesshoumaru approaching accompanied by the monk Miroku. When they got close enough Miroku called out a greeting and she nodded in response.

When they arrived in front of the miko Sesshoumaru glanced at the monk. "Perhaps you would like to take a walk through the village?" Miroku looked confused for a moment before he understood, nodding quickly and setting off towards the village center. Perhaps the young women of the village would be out and about. He always enjoyed speaking with them. A hentai smirk spread on his face as his hand twitched in anticipation. When the monk was out of earshot the demon lord turned to the miko that had summoned him. "Is the necklace ready?" She shook her head no before pushing back the bamboo mat and entering her hut, the inu following close behind. "Then why did you need to see me?"

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"Sooooo, Akihiro. You wanna tell me what you said to him that made him act so funny?" Kagome looked at the little boy who was peeking over the top of the book once more. "Oh, come on. What's such a big secret?"

"Akihiro, what is it?" Yoshi asked, looking at his brother.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. Father asked me if I knew of a scroll that could be the one grandmother spoke of in their dreams. I told him I would have to think on it."

"That isn't all, is it?" Shin asked while walking over and sitting next to his now very nervous sibling.

"I can't say," he whispered so low only demons could hear while hiding his mouth behind the book. "It's about her. I can't tell her. Father should when he is ready."

"What about me?" Kagome asked which caused all 8 young demons to look at her in shock. There was no way she could have heard that! "What? Why are you all looking at me like that?"

"Kagome, are you saying that you heard what Akihiro said?" Yoshi asked slowly.

"Uh, yeah. Why wouldn't I?" Kagome was confused now. Why did they all look so surprised?

"Mama, you shouldn't have been able to hear him. He said it way to low for any human to hear."

"But I heard him Shippo. Just like I heard you just now."

"What did he say?" Shinji asked.

Kagome let out a frustrated sigh. "He said 'I can't say. It's about her. I can't tell her. Father should when he is ready.' Didn't you hear him Sango?" Sango looked at her carefully before shaking her head no. "But how? You're right next to me!"

"Tell me, Kagome, what else can you hear?" Akihiro asked in a desperate attempt to distract her.

No one spoke as Kagome sat and listened. As the minutes passed her eyes got wider and wider. "I…I can hear everyone breathing. I can hear your heart beats. How can I hear your heart beats? Wait, I can hear a weird swishing sound. What is that?"

Akihiro looked at his brothers in shock before lifting his hand to show him rubbing his fingers together slowly, the sound of his skin brushing against skin causing a definite swishing sound. When Kagome saw she stood up and started pacing. "Okay, that's weird. Too weird. How can I possibly hear that? I shouldn't be able to hear that."

"I don't know, but it isn't something you need to worry over," Akihiro looked nervous again. He hadn't meant to upset her.

"Perhaps it has something to do with father's youki, like the old miko said about the scroll."

"Kagome, sit down! Don't worry about it. We'll figure it out. He's probably right." Sango couldn't tell who was who at the moment, but it had been Shinji who had spoken last.

Kagome sighed again while slowing her pacing to a more normal gait. "I suppose, but it's so weird. I didn't even notice the difference before now. How do you not notice when you can hear everything so much better? How did I miss it?"

"Perhaps the change had happened while you slept and when you woke you did not notice the difference. Or perhaps it was gradual." Yoshi shook his head in agreement with Akihiro's guess.

"Yeah, I suppose." She let out another sigh before sinking to a seated position near her things. She grabbed one of her school books and opened it to a random page in an attempt to distract herself. It was just too weird for her to deal with at the moment. She had enough odd stuff going on between having a formerly human hating demon lord grabbing her ass and declaring his love within an hour, Inuyasha disappearing for days, talking with now three demons using only her mind. Yeah, it was just one too many weird things for one day.

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"I am not sure if the necklace alone with be strong enough for it to work even though it uses Kagome's power as she cannot access all of it at this time. I believe the well allows Inuyasha to pass because the necklace gives Kagome a power over him that she could use if something were to occur and he were to lose control. A kind of safeguard for the future. As such, I do not believe it will allow you to pass unless the necklace can successfully subjugate you as it does Inuyasha. I do believe, however, that if you give something of yourself freely it may allow the necklace to draw on your power as well."

"I see. And what is it you wish me to give?"

"I am not sure. That is why I wished to speak with you. It must be something that will incorporate into the necklace without altering it."

Sesshoumaru thought for a moment before reaching up and pulling several strands of his hair from his scalp. "Will this do? You can use it to string the beads."

"Ah, yes! That should do perfectly."

"And how is it coming along? Will it be done soon? I wish to have it before she leaves again for her time. And I have reason to believe she may need some convincing to even put it on."

"Yes, I was wondering about that. It should be done in two days. Will that leave you enough time?"

"I do believe so, yes. This Sesshoumaru thanks you for your assistance. Though if you have need of me again, it would not be wise to send the same man."

"Oh, did something happen?" she asked with a knowing glint in her eye.

"The human took liberties with the miko that I do not approve of."

"He held her hand, Kaede. I do believe, Sesshoumaru, that you are a tad territorial?" They both looked up to see Miroku leaning in the doorway, a bright pink handprint on each cheek.

"Ah, Miroku, did the village women chase you off so soon?" Kaede asked with a chuckle.

Miroku blushed a bit while scratching the back of his neck distractedly. "Yes, well apparently they were not in a playful mood today."

"Hn," was all the demon lord said before rising. "If you have need of me again, perhaps send someone with a better developed sense of self-preservation." He looked at the monk who immediately got out of the way of the exit, bowing quickly to Kaede.

"It was nice to see you again, Kaede. It seems I must be going now. Good-bye." He bowed again before bolting out the door to chase after the taiyoukai who, while only walking, had a markedly longer stride than the monk. When he had caught up he tried to fill the silence between them. "So, what did Kaede want with you?"

"That is none of your concern."

"Oh, of course, yeah. I'm sorry. It's just, I heard her ask if you would have enough time. Is there something I could help you with?" The inu shot him a glance, making Miroku nervous. "I mean, since we're going to be traveling together and all. And because you want to court Kagome. And since I know her fairly well, since I keep all her secrets and all, well, I thought you might want some advice or something. Because I am completely behind you on this. I think you would be perfect for Kagome. She needs someone who can see Kagome when they look at her, not the Shikon Miko, or Kikyo's reincarnation. Just Kagome. I think Inuyasha has done a pretty good job of making her insecure and she's probably going to need a lot of reassurance. She told Sango she couldn't understand why you were interested in her, that she's not pretty or powerful. She doesn't think she's worthy of your attention, and…"

Sesshoumaru cut off Miroku's nervous rambling. "Perhaps another time. There is something wrong."

"Something wrong? What is it? A demon? I don't sense one."

"The miko is upset. Confused again. And worried."

"Wow, you can feel all of that through the mark?"

"Yes. Perhaps you could be silent?"

"Oh, yeah, sure." When Sesshoumaru shot him a glare the monk swallowed any and all other words that were aching to slip out.

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Back at the camp Kagome was trying her hardest to read her history book but it was no use. She found herself listening just to see what she could hear. It was a few minutes later when she mumbled, "I'm not upset. Not really. It's just weird."

Sesshoumaru's eyes scanned the area, checking to make sure he really was as far from the camp as he thought. He was sure he hadn't sent his words through the connection, merely spoken them aloud, and yet she somehow knew what he said. He stopped walking then, and spoke. "Kagome, can you hear me?"

Miroku looked at him like he was crazy. "There's no way she can…" His words were cut off by a raised clawed finger.

"Yeah. I can hear you just fine. And Miroku too. He just doesn't know how to shut up sometimes. I think you make him nervous." Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as he heard her words. He could tell she was speaking at her normal level, not yelling or anything, and he could hear her. But how could she possibly hear him? "I bet you're wondering how I can hear you, right? I bet you've got one eyebrow all the way up in your hairline." As he heard her words he did a brief mental check before attempting to force the eyebrow down. She already knew him so well. Either that or he was really predictable. "Yeah. I can hear everyone's heartbeats here at camp, too. Now start walking again so you can explain this to me."

He began to walk, all the while trying to figure out how in the hell she had been able to hear him from such a distance. If this were permanent he would have to be much more careful if he ever wanted to surprise her. As he entered the clearing he noticed everyone was staring at Kagome who was staring with blank looking eyes at the book he had looked at before, the one that had information about the past of her time.

"It's about time. Did you really have to stop walking when you heard me? Now explain this!" She sounded bothered but not angry. Definitely confused.

"You are having enhanced hearing?"

"Uh, yeah. Thought that was rather obvious." He narrowed his eyes at her. "Don't give me that look. Is this because of the youki too?"

"It is possible, though I have never heard of it happening before. But then I could not find many instances of humans taking in youki, let alone retaining and integrating it."

"Of course not. I get to be the guinea pig on everything." They all gave her the 'what did you just say' look, but she wasn't in the mood to explain. "Never mind. Just never mind. Oh, and Miroku, as much as I appreciate your caring about me, could you not offer up my deepest secrets on a silver platter? And Sango, really. Why did you have to tell him all that?"

Miroku looked surprised and Sango looked guilty. "I..I'm sorry, Kagome. I just want to help."

"Yeah well I don't need anyone's help, okay? And neither does he! He's doing perfectly fine without you all giving up all my thoughts and feelings. Alright?" With that she got up and stormed away.

"You think she's mad?" Sango asked quietly.

"Oh yes, she is most definitely mad," was all Sesshoumaru said before following after her.


	41. Struggle for Survival & My Miko Mama

**Chapter 41 – Struggle for Survival and My Miko Mama**

She had gotten much further than he had anticipated by the time he caught up with her. Or at least he thought he had caught up with her. But when he entered the clearing he was certain she was in he could not see her anywhere. He knew she was here though! After a moment he let out a sigh and glanced up at the clouds passing overhead in an attempt to release a bit of his stress. As his view passed over the trees, though, he saw her. She was in a tree! And fairly high in a tree too!

"Kagome? How did you get up there?"

"I climbed. How else?" Her tone was still rather snippy as she had not yet calmed down.

He walked towards the tree she sat in and settled himself on the ground below it. "Is there a reason you are in a tree?"

"I needed a moment. Sound familiar? I figured if a tree helped you so much, and it always seems to help Inuyasha, then maybe it would help me too."

"Would you please come down? I would like to speak with you and I do happen to like looking at you while we speak."

Silence filled the air for a moment and then there was some rustling of leaves. And then more silence. Eventually he heard a soft voice. "I can't get down."

He couldn't help the smirk as he stood and evaluated her situation. She had managed to scoot out onto a thick branch far enough from the trunk that now she couldn't reach it. He walked to the trunk and leaned against it, mokomoko wrapping around the tree in a spiral, slowly ascending until it reached the branch she sat on. One end wrapped around the branch and the other her waist. "Slide down."

"Are you kidding me? Slide down, from way up here?"

"I will not allow you to fall. Now slide down. Mokomoko is secure." She gave him a tentative look before letting out a rather large sigh and looking at the length of white fur where it was wrapped around the branch. She finally gave up and reached out, grabbing the dangling part of the fur that hung between the branch and her waist and holding tight before sliding down as slowly as she could muster, landing on her feet right in front of him. Mokomoko then slid from the branch to wrap around Sesshoumaru as well, pulling the girl flush against his chest. "So you now have enhanced hearing? It is rather interesting, I must say."

"Yeah, well Akihiro learned the hard way. What was it he told you before you came back all distracted? He wouldn't tell me and then they boys asked him what it was and he apparently whispered so that I wouldn't hear that it was about me and you would tell me. Except I heard him. So, tell me."

He buried his hand in her hair before sliding it his fingers through it. "It is a secret. And it shall remain so until I am ready to tell you." At her look he continued. "Some things must remain a surprise or you would be certain to get bored with this Sesshoumaru."

"Me? Bored? Here? Never. Besides, I have a feeling there is still a lot I don't know about you. Like how old are you?"

"Does it matter?"

"Not really, no, but it's interesting."

"Perhaps."

"Well?"

"That is a secret as well."

She looked up into his eyes, having to tilt her head back rather far being as her body was pressed completely against his chest and he stood about a head and a half higher than her. "You're a pain in the ass, you know that?" He merely smirked at her. "Fine, fine. Whatever. Since we're alone anyway, shall we share memories again?"

"That is acceptable. Perhaps you should go first this time."

Kagome nodded and thought. Eventually she settled on some memories of school and times she went out with her friends, explaining to him all the new things as she went along. He had a rather hard time grasping the concept of a movie, even when she showed him. And the whole idea of cars moving without being alive was a bit difficult to explain, but she managed. After about a half an hour of what Kagome referred to as her boring life before-well, she stopped and it was his turn. Kazue, who had followed her when she stormed out of camp and simply watched as the human girl climbed a tree in a definite non-human way, had taken her leave of the two during that time. She had things she wanted to discuss with a cat.

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Miroku was busy trying to convince Sango that Kagome would forgive them both while the children, who had decided nothing else exciting was going to happen, immersed themselves in the world of crayons. They especially enjoyed the coloring books as some of the pictures were of things they had never seen before and Shippo got to show off his immense knowledge as he recognized some things he had asked her about before. The little kitsune felt rather important as the others looked to him for explanations as well as his exciting tales of things she had actually brought for them to see or try.

Kirara was sitting near the large two headed dragon in what appeared to be an attempt to make friends. They were spending time silently sharing experiences with their respective groups, trying to get a feel for what may be coming in the future since the merger. Ah and Un were also sharing their opinions on their Lord's feelings and intentions while Kirara shared stories of the hanyou and his big mouth that rarely said nice things. The two-headed dragon was convinced the miko would become his Lady and the fire neko didn't seem to have any objections. Just a feeling that Inuyasha would probably not take things too well when he returned and discovered the developments the two had made since his disappearance. Kazue had joined them towards the end of their discussion, telling them both of the miko's very interesting climbing skills. She also shared all she knew of the budding relationship between the two. She was, after all, most often present when they were otherwise alone.

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Kagome had witnessed many battles that had occurred after the death of Inu no Taisho, watching as time and again Sesshoumaru managed to kill the attackers, though some were harder than others. She had watched a rather grisly battle with a dragon that happened to be closely related to Ryukotsusei, who had been sealed by late lord directly before his death. Said dragon had declared that he would not only claim the west, but that by killing all remaining kin of the dead lord he would release the great dragon from the seal that held him, gaining himself great reward as well. Of course he did talk rather better than he fought, or at least it looked that way while matched against Sesshoumaru who lived up to his name as the killing perfection. He had been injured during the fight but the dragon, who had such a heightened opinion of his own power and strength, lost his head.

She noticed then that he seemed to have a penchant for removing heads as a way of finishing a battle. Rather effective, yes, but also quite messy and in Kagome's opinion rather gross. She liked it much better when they just poofed into dust. Much less disgusting and easier on your clothes too. She had also witnessed a scene directly before the removal of several more heads where he had overhead several servants speaking poorly of his father's human mate and hanyou offspring. Sesshoumaru hadn't taken that too well as was obvious when their words were cut off when their heads hit the ground.

She remembered reading once that during the French Revolution and the mass beheadings that a doctor had tried to determine how long the brain lived after the cut was made by requesting those sentenced to death by guillotine to attempt to blink as long as possible after the blade fell. She had a pretty good idea now, all on her own, of just about how long demon heads lasted and she was pretty sure it was longer than humans. Some of the mouths of the disembodied heads had attempted to form words for nearly a minute, but being as there was no throat or trachea no noise came out. Well, besides the odd gurgle. Some blinked in their surprise at having been defeated. Some even scowled. Those were rather entertaining, or at least would have been if it wasn't for all the mess.

Then there was the memory of when Sesshoumaru had gone to check on Izayoi and Inuyasha only to have witnessed the cruel words of her family as well as the despicable conditions they had been forced into. When he had confronted her father, the elder of the family, the bastard had actually had the nerve to tell him that they would have already been killed if not for his people's fear of retribution. Needless to say, his people had feared right as that very night many of the royal household, noble and servant alike met their end at his very angry claws. But by then it was too late. He had approached the room where they had been forced to stay under lock and key. Where they had not been adequately fed, nor was enough wood provided for the fire during the cold winter nights. He had known by her scent alone that Izayoi was not long for this world. He had stayed close then, but hidden, waiting for the inevitable and when it happened he ensured that his young brother, still just a child, managed to escape from the household. The boy had never even noticed the dead lining the halls. He still had no idea Sesshoumaru had already taken revenge on them for her death, even before it had happened.

He watched the boy run and hide. He made sure he managed to catch enough food. He watched over him as often as he could. But he could not bring the child home. He would have been nothing but a target as a hanyou child in the palace moon while enemies still attacked on a regular basis and where servants who did not learn from their predecessors spoke of righting the wrong of the old Lord. He could never be sure who was loyal and who was not until he caught them speaking ill so he could not trust anyone to protect the child. No. After much trouble, after nights of endless conflicting thoughts he had finally decided that Inuyasha was safer roaming the wild, hiding in the forests, than he could ever be in the palace at least until he was old enough and strong enough to defend himself, even if just for a short time until Sesshoumaru could return and protect him once more. He was safer where no one knew whose son he was. It had been an agonizing decision for the demon lord who very much wished to have his brother by his side. He was the only family he had left and despite his heritage he loved the little boy.

And so he watched over him as much as possible from the shadows. He stood guard on every new moon. He even left food for the child during more difficult times. But he never approached him. He could not bring himself to tell his brother he could not come home, that he could not protect him. So instead he allowed the boy's resentment of him grow as the child himself did. He watched with pride as he saw the little boy with the adorable puppy ears learn to fight, to defend himself. Somehow the child knew instinctively, or his mother had told him, to never tell anyone who he really was. He never trusted anyone. No, little Inuyasha had learned not to trust humans from his mother's family and not to trust demons from any and every one he ran into. Sesshoumaru had ordered Myouga, who he was certain was loyal, to assist the boy in any way he could, to teach him how to use his powers and help him survive. Myouga had also come to the rescue several times when the little hanyou had been cornered by someone bigger and meaner than himself. He had not always run away at the slightest sign of danger, but the little flea had eventually gotten into the habit of it by running for Sesshoumaru whenever there was a situation he felt Inuyasha might not be able to handle. Several times he had arrived at the very last second to stop a killing blow on the little boy.

And yet he never knew who his invisible guardian was. He didn't know why the demons never found him on his human nights. He never knew where fresh kills had come from that seemed to land at his feet when he was most hungry. He never knew how he had managed to survive when he had been certain he was going to die this time. He never knew why some demons saw him and turned to run away when they were surely stronger than he was. He had always felt an odd feeling of familiarity and powerful youki lurking around him but he never knew. He never knew his brother had watched over him for years, ensuring his survival. That Sesshoumaru was just waiting until he would be strong enough that he could safely return home. And by the time he was, Inuyasha had met the miko who he became so enamored with.

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Sesshoumaru had attempted to stop several times during his memories, fearing he was overwhelming her but she had only urged him on. She had always been so curious about Inuyasha's life before Kikyo had pinned him to the god tree, but the hanyou had never been too big on sharing, especially when it came to his ramen and his past. She had been soaking in the knowledge as so many things about him became clear. She understood his insecurities much better now. She knew why he was always suspicious and why it had been so hard to get him to trust her at first. She also understood to a point why he resented Sesshoumaru so much. She had wanted him to go on, to tell her about Kikyo's part in his story, but he had refused. He had insisted they return to the campsite as she had yet to eat anything that day and it was now approaching afternoon. He could hear her stomach complaining loudly about its neglect and insisted she eat something.

When her attention had finally focused outward she stood there, her head slightly tilted, listening to an odd sound. She knew she had heard it before but she could not identify its source. He noticed her concentration and he focused on his hearing as well, while extending his senses to check over the area. They were back. Or rather more of them had shown up because none of the last swarm had made it away alive to be able to return. No, these were new ones and there were more of them than the last time. He walked slowly towards them, pulling her behind him while motioning for silence. When they were in sight and in range they began to fall from the sky in pieces as he extended his whip to pick them off one by one right out of the air. When he was certain they had once again been dispatched completely he turned back to her, seeing her smile at him.

"You know, you are extra cute when you're showing off."

"This Sesshoumaru was not 'showing off'. I was merely ensuring that Naraku's spies could not return to report their findings. Would you rather I allowed them to tell him of our location and activities?"

"No, but I've seen you take them out with one or two swipes. This time it looked more like target practice. Just admit it. You like showing me how powerful you are."

He looked her over, evaluating her words before replying. "I suppose this Sesshoumaru does not wish to appear weak in your presence."

"Yeah, yeah. I suppose you like being the big bad demon to the rescue. Don't you? I bet you're just dying for something to attack me again so you can have an excuse to kidnap me and hold me prisoner thirty feet off the ground for an extended period of time."

"This Sesshoumaru does not need an excuse to carry you off." As he spoke his arm slid around her waist once more, his fur wrapping around her as well. His hand wandered its way down to her ever so inviting ass before he lifted her off the ground once more, her legs wrapping around his waist for balance. Mokomoko wound around her to keep her snug and secure as he smirked at her. "This Sesshoumaru can carry you off anytime I wish. And you do not seem prone to denying me either."

"Oh, shut up and take me to the food," she said while wrapping her arms around his neck and snuggling in for the ride. "I didn't feel like walking anyway."

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Inuyasha was hungry. He had left camp before dawn two days earlier and he had yet to leave his personal sanctuary. He was still upset. He had managed to come to terms with the fact that his brother was interested in Kagome, even wanted her as his mate. She was extraordinary. It should have come as no surprise really. It wasn't like his brother fell for just any human. No, he fell for the most inhuman human he knew. It did make a kind of difference. At least he hadn't simply changed his mind about something that had influenced Inuyasha's life so much. No, he was sure Kagome could make just about anybody, human, hanyou, or demon, fall in love with her in some fashion. She was impossible to dislike. She was too nice, too kind and loving, too compassionate.

And he had even come to terms with the idea that she might like Sesshoumaru as well. He had known she held feelings for him for some time but more and more lately she had seemed less in love with him and more like she would love a friend. He hadn't caught her gazing at him with that faraway look she used to get. She certainly wasn't catering to his every whim, which to be honest he missed quite a bit. She had even defended his brother against him, Inuyasha, the guy she was supposed to be in love with. So yeah, it was possible she could have given up on him and moved on. And if his brother wasn't such an asshole then he wouldn't mind so much, but he was sure that she would end up hurt in some way. He was afraid she would fall in love with Sesshoumaru and then he would change his mind and break her heart. Or he would leave her for a demoness if one struck his fancy. He just couldn't trust him. Not with her. She was just too important to risk her being hurt by his cold, ruthless, vicious, murderous older half brother.

And so he sat, still trying to find some solution to his problem. He had no idea how long he had been gone. Not much light made it into the cave he currently occupied so he hadn't really been paying attention to night and day. He just sat and stared at the wall or his mother's things while thinking as hard as possible, which was interspersed with naps. Thinking can be tiring. He had no idea how long he had slept so he had no concept of time at all. And the approaching new moon had completely slipped his mind.

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Once more Kagome had been carried into camp wrapped around an inu taiyoukai, earning her a rather hentai smirk from the monk and a raised eyebrow from Sango. She directed her demonic transportation to sit near the supplies and when he did so she merely leaned back and looked through things until she found what she was looking for. She pulled out a granola bar and a bag of trail mix, one that had chocolate in it. She was having a definite need for chocolate at the moment. When she had found her choice items for lunch she sat back up on him, loosening her legs and scooting back a bit so she had room to eat. Her choice of foodstuffs caught the interest of the children, causing her to retrieve some for each of them as well while watching silently as Shippo explained how to open the foil wrappers and what it was they were eating. Of course Shippo had a bit of a hard time saying granola, the word coming out more like 'grayola' which had caused the miko to giggle and correct him gently.

Sesshoumaru merely sat holding Kagome close and watching his pups and Rin talking excitedly while trying the new foods. He was also keeping a close eye on the miko in his lap. She had this far away look in her eyes as she gazed at the children. 'Kagome? Are you alright?'

'Huh? Oh, yeah. I was just thinking how cute they all are. You know, I feel guilty.'

'What do you have to feel guilt about?'

'They asked me to be their mother and I told them no but then the next day right in front of them I told Shippo he could call me Mama. I didn't even realize it at the time but I'm sure that hurt them.'

'Even if it did, they do not appear to care at the moment, do they?'

'I don't know. Do you think they still would want to? Call me Mama like Hisoka asked, I mean.'

'I am certain they do. They all love you.' He had been looking at the children again but his attention was drawn to her face at the scent of tears. She was crying. 'Kagome, why do you cry?'

'I…I'm not sure. It's just…they love me. And I love them too.' She sniffled and wiped at her tears in an attempt to stop the unexpected flow of emotions but failing miserably as the tears continued to fall. She soon had the attention of everyone near her, all the children looking at her with worry in their eyes.

'It is your decision, of course, but this Sesshoumaru would approve of your being their mother if you wanted to. You can allow them to call you Mama just as the kit does if you wish.'

She looked at him in surprise before breaking down into rather violent sobs. "Oh, Sesshoumaru!" she buried her face in his neck, half looking for comfort and half in an attempt to hide from all the inquisitive eyes.

"Kagome? Are you alright?" Hisoka asked in a near whisper.

"Yes, Hisoka honey I'm fine. (sniffle) I don't really know why I'm crying." She looked at him then, looking into his worried golden eyes. "And, if you still want to…you can…you can call me…(sniffle) Mama." His precious little eyes widened as he looked from her to his father who only nodded.

"Really? Do you mean it? Does that mean Rin can call you Mama too?" Her voice was excited and hesitant at the same time.

"Yes, Rin. All of you." It was only seconds before Kagome and Sesshoumaru were buried in children, all trying to hug her at once, causing her to laugh while tears still fell from her eyes. Eventually they decided if they actually wanted a hug they would have to take turns and the dog pile lifted from the miko who was still wrapped around the taiyoukai. Once she could move she shifted in Sesshoumaru's lap so her back was to his chest and opened her arms. Hisoka and Rin made it first and she held them both close to her. "I love you guys," she whispered in their ears before kissing each on the cheek causing Rin to smile wider than ever and Hisoka to blush.

"Hey, no hogging Mama!" Yuudai and Isamu cried out together. Kagome giggled as she released her hold on Rin and Hisoka who pulled back reluctantly. If she hadn't been leaning against Sesshoumaru, Kagome would surely have fallen over backwards from the force the two youngest collided into her with. She held them tightly, still crying and laughing, before giving each a kiss and whispering her love. This was repeated with Hitoshi and Akihiro, and then Yoshi and Shin who went separately. They had been without a mother the longest and neither could contain the absolute joy and love that shone from them when she said she loved them. No one had ever said those words to any of them before, except for Rin perhaps, but this was special. It was amazing and wonderful and perfect. They all sat around her and their father, Shippo claiming a spot on the demon lord's shoulder, and chattered in their excitement, the air filled with their promises and plans.

Sango and Miroku were smiling at the happy scene before them while Jaken was trying to hide his surprise. Sure, Lord Sesshoumaru had told him that the young lords supported his desire to make Kagome his mate, and Rin had said while Kagome was still at the palace how she wished the miko could be her mother. But the little toad had not expected his Lord's sons to also wish to call the miko Mama. The fact that Kagome allowed it wasn't so much a surprise. She already played mother to the kit. It was more that Lord Sesshoumaru allowed it, even seemed to encourage it. It was definitely going to take him a while to get used to the changes in his lord. But it did have some upsides. He hadn't been kicked or stepped on or pegged in the head with a rock for days. Definitely a plus in his book.

After a while, when everyone had calmed some Kagome finally decided she should spend at least a little while today studying. Sesshoumaru, however, refused to cooperate by releasing her. He was still rather confused as to why she had been crying and she had still not been able to explain it. So instead she had one of the children retrieve one of her books and Hisoka curled up in her lap while she studied, falling asleep after a while. Shippo and the others had retreated to their drawing and coloring.

Sango had decided to take some time to practice with her Hiraikotsu and Miroku had followed after her, as he absolutely loved to watch her fight but never got a good chance during a real battle. Practice was still just as beautiful and awe-inspiring as he watched her in her slayer garb as she bent and stretched to throw and catch the giant boomerang. She was aiming at some dead looking trees, figuring they could use more firewood anyway. By the time she had finished the trees had been cut into manageable pieces and she and the monk started carrying the kindling back to their camp.

Darkness was finally the reason Kagome stopped studying. Well, she had looked like she was studying but she had spent at least half the time thinking. She was a few weeks shy of seventeen and she now had not one but nine children calling her Mama, and only one was human. If someone had told her she would play mother to the children of Lord Sesshoumaru when she had first met him she would have surely laughed in their face. It wasn't like she minded. She loved the boys and Rin just as she loved Shippo. And it wouldn't hurt anything for them to feel loved by a mother. Or at least it wouldn't hurt anything until her journey was over. Then it was up to fate, she figured, to choose where she would end up. As much as she loved her mother, brother, and gramps, she didn't feel at home in her time anymore. Sure, there were some things she would prefer not to give up, but if the choice was hot showers and tampons or her friends and new family, well it was a sacrifice she just might be willing to make. She hoped that the well would never close, that she could visit her family while staying here, but she had no way of knowing what would happen. And even if she did stay, she suddenly realized, she and Rin would grow old and die and the boys would stay young and live for hundreds of years. As that thought struck her she closed her book and started to cry once more.

"Kagome?" Sesshoumaru had felt the sadness well up inside her before he scented her tears. What in the world was going on with her today? She didn't cry like this. He was fairly certain that when she did cry there was most definitely a reason, usually his brother. But nothing had happened, so why was she so upset?

She shifted so she could see him, Hisoka merely readjusting himself to stay comfortable, never waking from his peaceful sleep. 'Sesshoumaru. I just realized something. I can't believe I didn't think about it before. I should never have let them call me Mama. Shippo either. And you, you can't love me.'

He narrowed his eyes at her in confusion. 'And why can this Sesshoumaru not love you? And why do you regret your decision?'

'I'm going to die, Sesshoumaru. I'm human. I'm going to get old and die. They will have to watch me wither away. And if you really love me, you're just going to end up hurt. You can't. You should find a demoness for you to love.' The tears continued to stream down her cheeks as she looked at him.

'This Sesshoumaru does not want a demoness. This Sesshoumaru has chosen and it is you that I want.' He watched as she shook her head and looked away. He gently turned her face back towards him. 'Kagome, I would rather spend one human lifetime with you than never be with you at all t avoid the pain of loss. And I know they feel the same way. I will not stop loving you. Even if I wanted to I could not. You are the only one I will ever want, the only woman I will ever love. Now cease this foolishness. There is no reason for you to be thinking of your death. You are young and healthy. Besides, this Sesshoumaru has a feeling you will not be leaving this world for a very long time.'

'But how?'

'I do not know, but I do know that you were made for me and the Kamis are not so cruel as to send you to me and then take you away.'

She smiled then. 'Made for you, huh? Whatever gave you that idea?'

'Besides the fact that my beast has been declaring so since I first laid eyes on you, that your scent is the only one to soothe us both, that my dead mother speaks to me of you from the other side, on top of all those things, there are a few more. The prophecy for one.'

Her eyes widened. 'So you think so too?'

He looked a bit surprised for a moment before answering. 'That this Sesshoumaru is the fourth, just as mother said? That I am Sakimitama, destined for you? Yes, I think so too. When did you…'

'Right around the time you were breaking your brother's jaw.'

He nodded. 'The slayer? Akihiro has assured me in more ways than one that you and I are meant to be together.'

'How…' He silenced her with a kiss, gently sucking on her pouty bottom lip before moving along her jaw to her throat.

'You will find out soon enough. You are extremely tired. Are you not feeling well?'

'I don't know. I'm just feeling kinda off I guess. And emotional. I don't usually cry like this.'

Sesshoumaru called for Yoshi who picked up the sleeping Hisoka before Sesshoumaru lifted Kagome in his arm and carried her to her spread out sleeping bag. He set her down gently before smoothing her hair from her face and kissing her gently. "Sleep, Kagome. I will get the children ready for bed." She merely nodded before curling on her side and drifting off. Yoshi carefully laid his brother at her side and the little boy curled into her, as if searching for her comforting warmth. One by on the rest of the children joined her and soon she was once again surrounded by little bodies, all desiring to be close to the woman they loved. Sesshoumaru watched from his place at the base of the closest tree after having spoken briefly with Jaken and sending him off with the responses he had written the previous night. 


	42. Demon's Cure,Monster's Musings,Cats Tale

**Chapter 42 – A Demon's Cure, A Monster's Musings, A Cat's Tale**

Sesshoumaru had not intended to sleep but found he must have drifted off when he was jolted awake by Isamu's desperate whispers while he tried to shake his shoulder. "Father, father, thank Kami you woke up. There's something wrong with Mama."

Sesshoumaru was suddenly very awake, his eyes flying to where Kagome lay. "What do you mean, Isamu?" He could see her and she appeared to simply be sleeping. She was not sending out any signs of distress through the mark so he could not figure out why the little boy was so afraid.

"Father! She's bleeding! I can smell it!" The demon lord took a deep sniff, trying to find what his son had smelled. When the scent hit him his eyes flashed red for a moment before he regained control. There was definitely the scent of blood but she was not injured or in danger. He should have known, noticed the slight change in her scent earlier, but he had been too distracted by the overwhelming scent of her tears.

He glanced down at his near hysterical son. "She is fine, Isamu. She is not injured."

"But…"

He was cut off by his father. "It is a part of her normal cycle. Human women are different than demons. You will come to understand when you are older. Trust me, son, she is fine." They were both distracted when she moaned and shifted, her hand moving to cover her abdomen. "Although she may suffer some discomfort." Isamu didn't look convinced as he studied the woman while she shifted more, her movement waking his brothers and Shippo. Sesshoumaru watched as his sons stirred and their eyes opened, each looking worried while searching Kagome for the source of the disturbing scent. Shippo, however, didn't seem bothered and merely snuggled down to go back to sleep. "She is fine. See, Shippo is not worried." They all looked at him in shock, except for Isamu who was still rather disbelieving as he tried to understand his father's words. He let out a sigh before speaking to them all. "I promise you she is not injured or in any danger. It is something that happens to women, human women much more often than demon. She may be uncomfortable but she is safe. Now go back to sleep."

They weren't happy with the explanation but they did as they were told, this time giving the still shifting Kagome a bit more room to move in hopes of keeping her comfortable. One by one they dropped back to sleep, joining Rin who was the only one who had not woken. Sesshoumaru watched as she continued to shift and groan, even a few growls slipping through her pursed lips. Eventually she flopped onto her back, let out a sigh, and opened her eyes. She stared at the dark, star littered sky for a minute before rising with another sigh. She walked purposely to her backpack, digging through for a minute before grabbing what she was looking for and walking away. She had not even glanced in his direction. He rose to follow as Kazue was still sleeping soundly where she was cradled in a small human girl's arms. He had gone a few yards before he saw her standing perfectly still in the middle of the path.

"Leave me alone, Sesshoumaru. I'm tired and sore and I'm not going to be able to get any more sleep. I'm going to sit in the spring. It's the only thing that's going to help me right now. So just go back to camp." He was rather bothered by the fact that she had not turned to look at him as she spoke. Her tone and the mark both made it clear she was quite annoyed.

"This Sesshoumaru will not leave you alone in the dark. And it would not be wise to sit in the spring alone while you are so tired."

"I'm not gonna drown!"

"Still, it is dangero…"

"Fine, whatever. You can stay close to make sure I'm safe but no looking!" He answered her by sweeping her into his arm causing her to let out a squeal as he carried her to the edge of the spring. Once he had placed her on her feet he leapt into a nearby tree, making sure she could see his back. Then she couldn't accuse him of peeking. He didn't want to give her a reason to be angry with him, though it seemed like she already was. Time crawled by as she merely sat in the warm water. He had attempted to initiate a conversation several times, both out loud and through their connection but she wanted nothing to do with him. When the sun started to peek over the horizon she let out a sigh, looking at her very wrinkled fingers.

He heard her pull herself out of the water, listening and waiting for her to dress. When she finally called out to him he dropped from the tree to see she had already begun the walk to where their companions slept, not even waiting for him. He was rather confused. He had no idea why she seemed so angry at him. She had been rather sad the previous day but at the moment it was glaringly apparent she was not at all happy. When she entered the clearing Kagome noticed Sango looking through the supplies, looking rather upset. "You too then?" Sango merely nodded and stepped back so Kagome could find what she had been searching for. "I just spent half the night in the hot spring. You might want to give it a try. Hot water works wonders on sore muscles, you know." The miko then handed the slayer the much desired item from the future and watched as she walked out of the clearing.

Kagome popped a couple of pills in her mouth before taking a swig of water and swallowing them down. She moved over to her books and picked up a few along with a spare blanket which she spread under a different tree before sitting and trying to study. She had less than a week before exams and she was so far behind it would take her forever to attempt to learn it all. It had been hours and everyone had decided it was a good idea to avoid the two young women who were in less than pleasant moods. The children entertained themselves and the monk had decided now was the perfect time to start reading the books Kagome had brought him. Jaken had not yet returned with Ah Un, and Kazue and Kirara were doing their best to mind their own business and were playing together out of the way. Sesshoumaru merely sat observing.

Kagome had been forced to give up on studying by another fresh wave of discomfort. She had been lying on her side, knees pulled to her chest, nearly whimpering for the last few minutes. His son's surrounded him, looking worried. "She is in pain, father," Shinji said softly.

"Isn't there something we can do?" Yoshi asked.

Sesshoumaru sat and thought for a minute before standing and walking to where the miko lay. She glared at him but he ignored it. 'Let me help ease the pain,' he stated, though it sounded more like a question. Her eyes softened and she nodded. He picked her up and carried her away. When he reached his destination the demons all felt as the mark stopped sending out her feelings. Sesshoumaru had put up a barrier, blocking the ability of the mark to send out emotions, effectively ensuring them privacy. She looked at him with questions in her eyes. "I need you to trust me." She nodded and he lowered her to her feet. She tried to stand but her knees nearly buckled beneath her. Mokomoko wrapped around her waist, holding her up while Sesshoumaru took hold of the bottom of the oversized pink t-shirt she had been wearing. Her eyes widened as she realized what he intended to do.

"Sesshoumaru, I…"

"It is necessary, unless you wish me to put you in the water fully clothed." She sighed before nodding. She really needed to get in that nice hot, steaming water and she didn't think she could manage to change into her bikini anyway.

He pulled the shirt up over her head with a little help from her as she raised her arms, allowing it to slip off completely. His eyes widened for a moment as he took in the sight of her as she blushed and looked away. She had not had anything on under that shirt and she was now standing in front of him in just a small pair of thin red shorts. Trying to keep his mind on task he moved his fur up around her waist to cover her bare chest as well while he carefully lowered her bottoms to the ground. She wore just a small covering, quite similar to the bottom of the 'bath suit' that had nearly caused him to drown. This time the small fabric was black and appeared lacy along the edges. After a second's hesitation he removed it as well, leaving her to stand naked before him, covered only in the white fur of his mokomoko.

Kagome was slightly embarrassed but at the moment she didn't really care. The cramps were awful this time, much worse than usual, and the pain relievers she had taken earlier had done nothing to help. So she had allowed him to strip her, thankful for mokomoko which allowed her at least some modesty for the moment. She wasn't anywhere near as bothered by the whole idea as she would have thought, though. She trusted him, quite a lot actually, and she knew she was safe here with him. He would never hurt her. She knew that for sure. And so she did not protest as he began to remove his own clothing, all the while mokomoko helped keep her on her feet. She blushed a bit darker as she realized that she was once again alone with a naked Sesshoumaru, only this time she was too.

When he had finished removing his own clothes he wrapped his arm around her, lifting her once again before he stepped into the water, mokomoko dropping off at the edge to stay dry. Wet fur was not a pleasant thing and he didn't think wet dog smell would help her comfort level. He moved across the spring to find the ledge they had used before and he sat, arranging her over him so that her back was to his chest but she rested over one leg so that she was reclined across him, her head laid back on the opposite shoulder. "Where does it hurt the most?" he whispered gently in her ear. He was surprised by the feelings he was receiving through the mark. He had expected her to be uncomfortable or nervous but instead she was calm and relaxed.

"My lower back and," she took his hand, sliding it across the skin of her abdomen, "right here." She was quiet for a few minutes as his hand gently but firmly massaged the aching muscles of her abdomen, never straying or misbehaving. "Sesshoumaru?"

"Hn?"

"Thank you. That feels so nice and the water is really helping too."

"I am glad. I do not think I could take another moment of you being in pain." He slid his hand around now to rub at the still tight muscles in her lower back, kneading carefully with his fingertips without injuring her with his claws. All the while he was fighting his own body's reaction to her proximity as well as the small noises of pleasure that were beginning to escape her. He tensed as he felt her shift above him, the flesh of her soft cheeks brushing against what he could not control. He waited for her to be upset, to pull away from him, but she didn't. She merely giggled softly.

"I take it you're enjoying this as well?"

"How could I not? I have the most beautiful woman I have ever known naked in my arms." His hand slid from her back around her waist, finding a resting place over her navel.

"Hmmm. Did I tell you to stop?" A tiny moan escaped her lips as his hand began to move again, leaving tingles that were steadily spreading through her entire body. The next one was louder as his tongue slipped out and slid along her shoulder before he started placing lingering kisses up her neck, catching her earlobe between his lips and giving a small tug. Her head rolled back further and to the side, once again showing her willing submission and allowing him full reign of her throat which he immediately took advantage of. Her hands drifted, her right sliding over his own while her left grazed the outside of his left thigh, tracing with her fingertips to his knee and then back up again. The light touch sent a shiver through him and he sucked her earlobe once again in retaliation.

His hand had stilled beneath her own but she was quick to remedy that, moving hers to encourage him. Her fingers slipped between his own and she found herself shivering as well as the tips of his deadly claws ghosted across her skin. Her breathy moan was cut off though as another cramp ripped through her, causing her to nearly fold in half over their hands. "Damnit," she whispered.

"Do you trust me, Kagome?"

It took her a moment to register his words as she was still trying to push the pain away. As it eased for the moment she finally responded. "I would have to, don't you think? I'm here, aren't I?"

"I can take the pain away for a time, if you only trust me."

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Naraku was becoming rather frustrated. Not only was a brilliant idea not coming to him as easily as he had hoped but also his Saimyosho had been failing to return to report. Each swarm he sent to check on the miko and her group never returned. And the bees sent to observe the demon lord and his annoying little herd of sons who had dared to survive had also failed to make it back to him. Someone was killing them, he was sure of it, but he had no way of knowing since he had broken that kami-forsaken mirror. But he no longer blamed himself for its destruction. No, he blamed Inuyasha. The idiot hanyou had somehow found the girl before he did. It was entirely his fault that he had been angry enough to throw the mirror in the first place.

Kagura had disappeared again and he was certain she was off plotting against him, yet he couldn't kill her. She was all he had left besides the human boy who, while greatly entertaining, was not powerful enough on his own to do his master's bidding. No, he had to keep Kagura alive at least until he could managed to scrape up a few new followers. Perhaps he would create a new incarnation. They hadn't all turned out quite as he had intended, some being indifferent to their creator and giver of life while others were downright dangerous, intent on his destruction. So perhaps not. Forming a new incarnation was rather tiring after all, and if it didn't turn out well once again then it would be a waste of his energy and power. Kanna had been his first and most successful creation. Kagura followed, and while powerful she was insolent and rebellious. She wished only to be free of his hold and found no joy in following his orders and killing his enemies.

Then there was Goshinki. He had been a good one. The ability to read minds had allowed him to nearly defeat the hanyou. But in breaking the sword, which had seemed a great victory for a moment, he had set loose the demon side of the inu hanyou that he had never seen before. While his demon blood was in control Inuyasha was a force to be reckoned with. Naraku was certain that not even Sesshoumaru could stand for long against the out of control hanyou lost to blood lust. And so Inuyasha had managed to kill Goshinki and Sesshoumaru had used the fangs of his most prided son and creation to forge his sword, the Tokijin. He found it rather amusing that his enemy was using the power of his own creation, had even attempted to use it against him. If only Sesshoumaru was weakened in some way then perhaps Naraku would be able to use the sword against him. If only. And yet every plot he had launched against the demon lord of the west had failed. He had successfully saved both the little human girl and his disgusting little clones. But he could always try again. And he was determined to. He would find some weakness in the armor of the taiyoukai, some little crack through which he could gain entry. And then all that power would be his. The power of the strongest demon alive would be his to wield and then **he** would be the most powerful. He would rule the west and then all the lands. He would rule the whole world once he had that power and the power of the jewel.

His mood lightened measurably then as he fantasized about just how things would be when he was in control. They would all bow before him or perish. They would line up to serve him, to worship at his feet. No one, human or demon, would stand against him. No one could. Not with the power the jewel would give him. Not with the power of the lord of the west. An evil smirk darkened his face at his thoughts as his red eyes shown in the near darkness, causing a small boy sitting motionless across the room to fight down a shiver of terror at the possibilities. Whatever was to come, whatever Naraku's next plan was, Kohaku knew it could not be good.

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Kagome nodded "Anything. I can't take this anymore." She stretched back out against him again, her hand having abandoned his as she reached back and caressed his right cheek. Her eyes widened for a moment as she felt his hand move lower but she didn't stop him as his fingers brushed through her soft raven curls before parting her lips gently. She gasped at the new feeling before melting in his hold as he circled the little bundle of nerves hiding there. She let out a much longer moan this time, her hand slipping behind his head and her fingers locking onto his hair as he continued to kiss her exposed throat, nipping at her ear and tracing the curve to her shoulder with his tongue. "And how…(gasp)…is this…going to…mmmmmm…help?" she asked in a breathless voice.

He smirked, enjoying her reaction to his touch. He had been quite pleased when his fingers found moisture other than the water of the hot spring. Apparently she had been enjoying their closeness just as much as he had. "Just feel," he whispered in her ear. "I promise you it will help." She obeyed, rolling her head back once again as his fingertips continued their path, circling her clit before every now and again sliding directly across it, making her gasp and squirm. "How does it feel, Ka-go-me?" he breathed into her ear, starting a shudder that traveled down her spine to join in the new and different tightness in her abdomen.

She could do nothing but moan in response as she felt herself approaching something, something big. She had nearly reached it too, when his fingers stopped moving completely. "No, no no no no no. Don't stop now," she begged in the most erotic voice the demon lord had ever heard.

"Then tell me Kagome, how does it feel?" He smirked into her neck as she attempted to grind herself against his motionless digits, letting out a disappointed groan.

"It…it felt…damn it Sesshoumaru, you're killing me!" He chuckled in a deep and seductive tone before he slowly started to caress her once more, knowing just how close she had been. "Faster…oh, come on!"

"Tell me."

"Oh, kami, it feels…it feels… it feels amazing. Oh, please oh please, oh please," she groaned out, his pace still aching slow. "Oh yes!" she cried out as he picked up speed and added a little pressure. "Oh, Sesshoumaru…if you stop this time…mmmmm…if…you…I'll… purify you…I swear." He chuckled again before nibbling at her pulse point, listening as her moaning grew in intensity and she pushed herself into his hand. Just as she was about to fall off the cliff he had carried her to he turned his hand slightly, his thumb taking over at her clit as he slipped his middle finger into her twitching, slick, hot passage, succeeding in throwing her over the edge. She cried out his name in a way that he had dreamed of hearing, both her hands now fisted in his hair behind his head holding on for dear life. He felt her warmth tighten around his digit as he slowed the movement of his thumb, allowing her to coming down from her orgasmic high. All the while he licked and nipped at her throat, thoroughly enjoying himself. "Oh, shit, Sesshoumaru! That was…that was… oh I don't even know what that was."

"And the pain?"

She assessed all she was feeling at the moment before replying. "It's gone. Oh Kami, you're better than modern medicine. I think I might just have to keep you around." She wrapped her fingers around his wrist, slowly pulling his hand away as she let out a groan, already missing his touch and disappointing the demon lord, who had not yet been ready to give up the feeling of intimacy. Or at least he was disappointed for a second or two before she turned in his lap, straddling his legs, and kissed him. And what a kiss it was. It was full of all the passion she had just experienced and all the frustration he held, knowing she was not yet ready for much more. Their tongues danced together until she could no long deny her need to breathe.

As she pulled back from him his lips immediately found their place on her throat, dragging his fangs carefully across her pulse making her moan for him once more. "I love that sound," he murmured into her skin. His hand had found a nice comfortable spot on her ass and he gave it a squeeze before pulling her closer, inadvertently pressing his still very obvious arousal against her stomach.

She let out another low moan and pulled back to look into his eyes, except that she had pretty much put her bare breasts level with them so the golden orbs, which weren't so gold at the moment, were not focused on her own eyes. She watched the expression on his face and took in the pink tinted eyes. It was obvious he was fighting himself, holding back from doing something. She smirked at him before tenderly taking hold of his chin and moving his face upwards so he would look into her eyes instead of at her chest. Once she had his attention she leaned in and traced the tip of her tongue along the lines on his left cheek, making a low growl rumble in his chest. "What are you thinking right now?" she whispered in his ear before repeating her movement on the right cheek.

Once she pulled back he searched her eyes, wondering what she was looking for with her question. "This Sesshoumaru is thinking lots of things right now."

"MmmHmm. Sure you are. From the look in your eyes I would guess you were thinking about one thing, well, two if you want to be specific."

"And what is it that you believe I am thinking?" Without even realizing it his eyes had slipped from her face to the luscious pink tipped mounds that were bare and oh so close. She watched as he licked his lips unconsciously. It was taking all he had in him not to taste her skin in such a delightful location. He looked up though as she began to laugh.

"Oh, I don't know." She placed her hands on her hips before sliding them up her own sides to cup the sources of his great distraction. "Maybe something about these?" She smirked as she gently tweaked her nipples and his tongue swept out to wet his lips again.

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Sango had been sitting off on her own a short way away from the others. She knew better than to sit near the monk. She was sure to kill him if he dared to grab her ass today and she really would rather avoid murdering Miroku. She smiled wryly at the thought. If only the idiot could manage to keep his hands where they belonged and stop flirting with every woman he laid eyes on then things could be so different. She loved the damn monk with both of his cursed hands. What she wouldn't give to have him hold her close as she had seen Sesshoumaru hold Kagome. What she wouldn't do to be kissed like that. But he was impossible. He was completely incapable of any measure of self control. And she refused to be with someone who could possibly cheat on her. She knew she couldn't handle that kind of betrayal, not now after all she had been through.

She wondered if he even thought of her as anything more than an ass to grab and a girl to flirt with when no others were available. She would like to think so, but then what man would want her? She was definitely not wife material, at least not to a normal man. She could have married another slayer in her village. The men there appreciated the strength of their women. But nowhere else. She didn't ever see herself being a submissive, good little wife. She would never be able to let a man boss her around, even if he was her husband. And besides, her body was littered with scars. No man would take a second glance at her. She had become damaged goods somewhere along the line and she knew that she had very little chance of ever finding a man who would accept her flaws and her strengths. That was one of the reasons she could fight so hard. All she had left was her brother and he was trapped in the clutches of the monster they hunted. She would do anything to save him, anything to bring him back safely. Even if she didn't survive the final battle, as long as she rescued Kohaku from Naraku she could die happy and rest in peace until the next life.

She held out hope, but just barely, that the monk did see her as more than something to grope. If he could, if he did, then perhaps she could have some kind of life after this was all over. She wiped the stray tears that had leaked through her barrier of strength but their scent had already attracted the attention of Kirara. The little two-tailed cat sauntered over to her and sat in her lap. Sango petted the fire neko absently as she thought. Kagome had given her a gift that she had never even imagined. The chance to actually talk with her nearly life long companion was something she had never thought possible. The thoughts and feelings of her demon friend had always been hidden from her, locked away behind the wall of communication. But now she could. Now she could talk to Kirara, know what she was thinking and feeling. It was amazing.

Already Kirara had shared much with her. She told her how happy she was to be with her, how proud she was to fight at the side of the last demon slayer. She spoke of Kohaku and how she was sure they would find some way to save him. She had shared many thoughts that she had never been able to before. And now Kirara spoke to her of the monk. He had no idea Kirara could speak to anyone before Sesshoumaru and Shippo had said they could. And he definitely had not anticipated her new secret ability to speak with Sango. Because of this he had used her as his silent confidant. She had always seemed like she was listening, and she was. Miroku had told her many times of his growing feelings for the demon slayer as their time together passed. He had admitted his love for her, how he wished to make her his wife when everything was over and done with. He had also admitted his greatest fear, of her returning his love and being hurt when his wind tunnel finally sucked him in. He was afraid to tell her his feelings, afraid to let her get too close, because if she did and they didn't make it in time, if they didn't kill Naraku in time that he would leave her. And he didn't want to do that to her. He knew how she felt, all alone in the world with only their group as her new family. He didn't want to be one more person for her to lose. And so he kept her at arms length, never telling her his true feelings, all in an attempt to protect her from pain. As Kirara spoke in her mind, Sango began to understand the actions of the monk, his flirting and his wandering hand. He cared enough about her to sacrifice his own dreams, his own happiness, to protect her from another loss. And she loved him all the more for it all.

Kirara shared many things with Sango, many long kept secrets, many thoughts on life in general, so many things. But there were things she did not say as well. There were things she couldn't tell Sango or anyone. Their constant companion, their partner in battle, their silent friend had secrets of her own. She knew of things that had not yet come to pass. She had learned a great deal in her many years of life that could not be revealed until the time was right. No one knew, anymore, her greatest secret. No one was alive to tell except her, and she had no intention of sharing, a least not yet. She still missed her, nearly every day. They had stood side by side on the battlefield, slept side by side during the darkest nights. She had done everything in her power to protect her but in the end it had not been enough.

And when Kirara first laid eyes on the girl who traveled with the little kitsune, the inu hanyou, and the hentai monk she knew. Kirara knew what was still to come, knew some of the secrets that had not yet been revealed. She knew some of what Kagome would still face. Sometimes it hurt just to look at the young miko from the future. She looked so similar to the one she had lost. The strength and determination of the girl reminded her so much of the other. The feel of their power was nearly identical, even if Kagome could not yet wield hers in its entirety. And Kirara still mourned for the first, her first companion, her first true friend, the one she had failed to protect in the end. The fire-neko still ached inside at the loss of Midoriko.

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Sesshoumaru watched intently as she rolled her hardening pink peaks between her thumbs and forefingers, his fingers twitching in response. How he wished it was him touching her so. "Perhaps," he admitted slowly. "They are quite tempting."

"Really? I never imagined you to be one to deny yourself anything you wanted." His vision snapped up to meet her still laughing eyes. Did she just give him permission? He wasn't sure and he didn't want to upset her. Things were going so well so far. He didn't want to set everything back if he were to do something she wasn't ready for. She smiled at him, the look of absolute confusion just adorable on the demon lord she was currently perched on. Leaning in she placed a peck of a kiss on his lips before whispering, brushing the soft, sweet petals against him with each word. "Go ahead. I won't stop you."

At her whispered words he pulled her into a deeper kiss before he trailed nips and licks down her jaw line, Kagome automatically tilting her head back and to the side, causing another low growl to escape him. As Sesshoumaru dragged his fangs across her pulse she slid her hands from where they had rested on his shoulders down his chest, using her nails slightly to tease his skin. His tongue trailed across her collarbone before dropping lower, nuzzling his nose into her soft flesh before kissing the outer side of her right breast. His lips ghosted over her sensitive flesh and his hand released its hold on her ass to gently cup the left. She threw her head back and began whispering his name like a mantra when he finally pulled her pert nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue over the tip. He smirked against her flesh, thoroughly enjoying the sound of his name on her lips as he suckled gently while tweaking the otherwise unattended nipple. Her hands wrapped once again in his hair as her back arched, pushing her flesh further into his waiting, scorching mouth. When he was satisfied that the first had been adequately attended to and could tighten in her arousal no more he moved on to the other, hearing her hiss in pleasure as the air hit her now moist skin. His hand trailed down her sexy flat stomach before slipping once more into her wet folds, once again caressing her bud and drawing a deep, throaty moan from her.

He released her nipple with an audible pop before smirking at her as he moved his fingers slowly, teasingly once again. "Kagome?" His whisper drew her eyes to his as he carefully slid his middle finger into her depths before pulling out slowly only to push in once again.

"Oh Kami, yes!" she breathed as she buried her face in his neck and leaving a trail of kisses as she moved to his ear. "Sesshoumaru," she whispered gently into his sensitive pointed appendage before nipping at the lobe, pulling another vibrating growl from him which only caused her to moan again for him. There was something he was absolutely dying to do but he was unsure as to how she would respond. After pumping his finger in and out of her heat a few more times while savoring the melodic sounds she was making he withdrew it completely, causing her to groan in frustration. Before she knew what had happened he had lifted her out of the water and she was sitting on the edge looking down at him. "Sesshoumaru?"

He gave her a pleading look before leaning in to take hold of a hard pink peak, circling his tongue around it and making her arch into him again. He could smell her now, the scent of her arousal and the scent of her blood nearly driving him crazy. She was completely untouched. He had already known that but to get an up close whiff of her virgin purity was definitely a treat. Her thighs had spread for him as he had moved closer without her even thinking about it and he was resting between them, now kneeling on the ledge in the water that they had been seated on moments ago. He trailed lower, kissing the soft skin of her toned stomach, placing a long openmouthed kiss on her navel. "Kagome, the scent of you, it's just delicious. Your body is calling to me." He spoke into her belly before dipping lower and nuzzling the nest of curls he now had the pleasure of seeing.

She gasped as she realized what he intended. "Sesshoumaru… I… you can't… not right now."

He looked up into her eyes and she could see they were now more red than gold, and yet she didn't feel any fear. Nervousness, yes. Some embarrassment, definitely. But fear? Absolutely none. When he spoke his voice was rougher, deeper, and altogether incredibly sexy. "Kagome, please. I want, no, I **need** to taste you."

She stared into his eyes, unsure of how to voice her concern. She was sure he didn't want to do that right now. Not while she was… no, definitely not now. She had to stop him somehow. "But I…"

He had an idea of what she was so worried about. She was human after all. She had no idea how much the scent of her blood was affecting him. He guessed that her human modesty was what was holding her back and he decided to speak out against her fears. He was a demon, a predator, and the scent of her blood was calling to him, tugging at him, pulling him in. There was definitely nothing for her to be embarrassed about. Not when it was something he needed from her so badly. He held her eyes, ensuring she heard the meaning of his words. "The combination of your purity, your arousal and your blood is absolutely intoxicating. I do not believe I have ever smelled something so tempting."

"You mean you…?" She trailed off, not really sure what she had intended to ask at all.

He merely nodded; relieved she had not continued to protest, before burying his nose in her curls and breathing the addictive scent in deep. He pulled her closer so that she barely rested on the edge before lifting her right leg up and over until her knee hung across his left shoulder. She leaned back on her elbows, absolutely intent on watching what he intended to do. His fingers stroked her lips gently before spreading them to look down at the glory he was granted sight of. He was her first in each and every way and he had the privilege to go where no man: human, demon, or especially hanyou had gone before. If he had his way no other would ever see her like this, or touch her, and most definitely taste her. He would be the only one. She was for him and him alone.

He had been staring for nearly a whole minute now and it was beginning to make her self conscious. What in the hell was he staring at so intently? Was there something wrong with her? Sensing her rising worry he looked right into her eyes. "Absolutely perfect," he whispered. _'And all mine.'_ Still holding her eyes, slowly he extended his tongue and dragged it the length of her sex before sucking gently on the little nub of nerve endings that gave her such great pleasure.

While she had thought his hand had felt amazing she had been thoroughly unprepared for what she was now experiencing. He moved his tongue in long strokes between paying intimate attention to her clit. He looked up at her then, their eyes locking as he slid his definitely inhuman tongue into her passage, swirling and touching places inside her she didn't even knew she had, causing her to gasp and buck against him while crying out his name once more. His fingers found her clit, giving it a little pinch as he virtually fucked her with his tongue, all the while savoring his first taste of her. It had been everything he had ever fantasized about and more and he was sure he would never be able to get enough. He would happily spend the rest of his unnaturally long and quite possibly endless demon lifetime on his knees with his tongue buried in her depths. And from the sounds she was making he didn't figure she would put up much protest. He let out a growl of pure pleasure, the sound vibrating through him, pushing her over the edge into orgasm once more. He withdrew from her, her walls clenching in an attempt to hold him in, and he drank in the taste of her pleasure mixed with her blood.

The taste of her was something he could never describe. It was a combination of the sweetest ambrosia and pure power. The power was a part of her blood, flowing through her veins, pulsing with life. Her magic and miko energies were flowing just under her skin making his entire form tingle. He could not pull away and he found himself bringing her to orgasm after orgasm until them seemed to run together into one unending stream of earth-shattering pleasure. When he finally pulled back from her, having sensed her absolute exhaustion, he looked up at the sight before him. It was absolutely breathtaking. Her body was laid back fully on the ground, her arms having long ago refused to continue to hold her up. Her breasts heaved with her panting breath and her entire form was flushed and shining with sweat. He crawled up her body, his tongue trailing over her flesh, savoring the near burn of her power and the saltiness of her skin. He kissed her lips gently and watched as she smiled weakly at him before her eyes fluttered shut.

The demon lord laid himself beside her, pulling her tightly to him and wrapping his arm around her waist securely as if he was afraid she would vanish into thin air. He summoned mokomoko which had at some point moved to pillow her head and it slithered over their naked bodies, covering them from the cool evening breeze. Checking that his barrier was still firmly in place he allowed himself to slip into a light sleep. She would need rest before they could return to camp and to be honest, he could use some too. And though his erection pulsed painfully in need he, and his beast as well, had never been quite so satiated in all his years, a feeling of peace sinking into the two as they slept at the edge of the water.


	43. While She Slept

**Chapter 43 – While She Slept**

Kouga had been getting really frustrated. Every time he thought he had everything ready to go something happened. First, the wolf demon he had chosen to lead the pack in his absence, Iwoa, had managed to get himself injured. He had been so excited and proud to have been chosen that he celebrated and drank **way** to much sake, which led to the unbelievable. Kouga's chosen leader had managed to stumble off a cliff. If he hadn't seen it for himself he probably wouldn't have believed it, that's for sure. Their pack healer had informed the wolf prince that Iwoa's recovery would take several weeks even with his demon healing as he had successfully broken almost every bone in his body. Yeah, needless to say Kouga couldn't leave him in charge. The new search for the ookami worthy of leading his pack was taking more time than the first as this time he was making sure that he didn't select an idiot.

Then there were the bees. Naraku's damned Saimyosho had been swarming around his caves the last few days and he was the one most capable of taking the annoying creatures down as he had the aid of the jewel shards. He found most of his daylight hours had been taken up chasing down each and every last little flying spy. Naraku would receive no reports on his pack. Kouga couldn't allow Naraku to find out that he was planning on being away for an extended period of time. Then the monster would most likely take advantage and attack while they were without their strongest and fastest fighter. After three days of bee duty he had organized a group of wolf demons to keep watch and take out any and all spies, stationing them at intervals all the way around his caves.

Now that the bee issue had been taken care of Kouga was free to pick his temporary replacement. Thankfully Ginta and Hakaku had been looking in to the matter for him and had a recommendation. Tadao was a good choice. He was powerful and well respected in the pack. He was unmated which meant he not have the distraction and responsibility of a mate to keep him from the duties he would fulfill as the temporary alpha. He was also very loyal to Kouga which meant he would not have a fight on his hands when he returned with Kagome to resume his alpha status. And one more plus. Tadao didn't drink, something that suddenly seemed rather important. The wolf prince agreed with his two closest followers and immediately announced Tadao as the leader during his absence. The pack seemed to agree as well as there were no protests or complaints. Now that the choice had been made and announced Kouga set out to choose who would accompany him besides Ginta, Hakaku, and a small pack of wolves.

Soon he would be able to leave. He couldn't wait to see his Kagome again. While he was slightly worried about Sesshoumaru's interest in his intended, Kouga was confident that Kagome would choose him. She would never mate willingly with the aristocratic assassin. He had attacked their group and more specifically Inuyasha more times that Kouga could count, had even tried to kill Kagome at times. There was no way she would trust and love him. Sesshoumaru was vicious and cold, while Kouga saw himself as loving and affectionate which was just what he was sure Kagome was looking for. She would never choose the ice lord over the wolf prince. Never.

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Kagura had left Naraku's castle not very long after she had arrived. She couldn't stand the smell of the miasma and death. She craved the fresh crisp scent of the wind. Besides, she was less likely to anger her master if she wasn't around. She felt safer at a distance and so she had flown away once more. After she was a fair distance away she successfully killed all the Saimyosho that had followed after her. She had decided on a task for herself and he could not find out. Kagura was still sure that Sesshoumaru was her chance for freedom and she didn't want Naraku to know about the tall, stoic demon lord's current location. She was certain he could and would take out any bees that came anywhere near his camp so none would report his new, interesting status and pack to Naraku. But the evil hanyou would become curious as to where the lord of the west was if not at his palace so Kagura assigned herself to the west, killing any spies that would report Sesshoumaru's absence. It wasn't a lot but it was something and she desperately needed something, anything to keep her busy and help her hold on to her hope.

While she floated on the breeze on her feather and studying the skies around her she thought. The enslaved wind witch thought about the sexy demon lord she had always hoped to catch. She wanted him for herself and seeing him with Kagome had certainly been a surprise. She had been so confident that once she was free he wouldn't be able to resist her but perhaps it was too late. He had stated very clearly that Kagome was under his protection, had ordered her to stay away from the miko if she wanted to live. But then that also meant that Kagome was safe, definitely safer than she had been under the half-assed watch of her beloved hanyou, Inuyasha. And as much as Kagura was convinced Sesshoumaru could free her she was also aware that Kagome was the Shikon Miko and would most likely be the only one able to reclaim the jewel and weaken Naraku enough to be defeated and forever vanquished. If she had to choose between her freedom and the demon lord she would have to choose her freedom. Nothing else mattered as much as her release from the bonds that held her to the dark hanyou. And so Kagura found it in her to be happy for Kagome. It was obvious from his tone alone that he cared deeply for the human girl, and the way his sons protected her as well sealed the deal. Somehow the little miko had captured the attention and heart of the demon lord and that all but guaranteed her safety.

She felt bad leaving Kohaku behind but it would have drawn too much attention to herself if she had taken him along with her. She knew his secret. She knew that the young boy had somehow managed to break the mental hold on him the Naraku had held. He remembered his family, his people, and what the dark hanyou had forced him to do. He now could remember his sister and all the times she had tried to save him from his captor. While on one of the many missions they had been sent on together he had admitted all this to her, knowing she also wished to be free of the tyrant that held them. She agreed that as long as he could continue to make Naraku believe he was still under his control that Kohaku's plan to gather information was a good one. Naraku didn't trust her and rarely told her the full extent of his plans. But he loved to gloat and show off how brilliant he thought he was and so Kohaku was often the one to listen, even if he wasn't supposed to feel anything about it one way or the other, just to obey. He was trusted with parts of the plans that Kagura was never clued in on so the more he could learn the better.

Perhaps if she approached the group with Kohaku in tow they might actually listen and believe her when she claimed to want to help. She understood. Oh, she understood completely why they didn't believe her. Naraku was the king of the double-cross, the master of lies, and it was not past him to use her to lure them to their deaths just as the miko had accused her of trying to do. Kagura was actually rather surprised that he had yet to think of that one. So at the moment, while Kohaku listened and absorbed any and all information on Naraku's newest plots Kagura was trying her hardest to keep him in the dark about as much as possible. The less intel he had access to the weaker any plans would be. And then maybe they would be able to find some loophole, some weak spot and lead their saviors to success in their mission, the death of Naraku.

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He had heard some very interesting news; something he had come to believe would not be possible. According to the servants in the western palace, Sesshoumaru had begun to show a great interest in the human miko that traveled with his hanyou half-brother. Even though he had been told long ago that such a thing would happen he had never believed it. Well, maybe at one time he believed it might occur before Misaki passed on to the next world and left the young taiyoukai alone with his father. Once Inutaisho was left to raise the boy as he pleased he began to doubt the truth of the story. And then the bad blood between the brothers caused by the miko Kikyo only further detracted from the likelihood of it ever happening. But now he was receiving word that it was finally coming to pass, that which he had been told of all those years ago. He smiled at the thought of Misaki when she had told him of her dream, of what the priestess had told her. He had been a loyal servant of her family for centuries upon centuries and had accompanied her, remaining her servant when she had been mated to the Lord of the West. After she died he did his best to help the boy cope but his father's teaching were strict, his words were cruel, and as much as he tried he had watched as the heart of the young demon hardened more and more until he was emotionless, just as his father had intended.

He had continued to serve Sesshoumaru for years after the death of the lord, being one of the few servants he truly trusted. It had been hard to watch as the brothers grew further and further apart. It had nearly broken his own little heart when he realized that Misaki's dream for her son would never come true. When he first laid eyes on the young miko he thought that perhaps he had been wrong, perhaps Sesshoumaru would find himself drawn to her. But then he tried to melt her with his corrosive poison and all hope was lost. The girl had managed to survive the attack thanks to the sword the old lord had left for his younger and more favored son but the damage had been done. Or so he thought. Natsuko had claimed to have seen it with her own two eyes, though. She had attended to the miko while she had been at the Palace Moon, had witnessed the human's incredible powers both of healing and of forgiveness. She had watched as her Lord gave the miko a gift. She had sensed it when he marked her as pack. She had even seen the demon lord holding the unconscious miko as he slept, surrounded by his sons as well. And he believed Natsuko. She had been at the palace for a very long time, having also come with Lady Misaki. Her loyalty was also assured, which was probably why the taiyoukai had chosen her to serve Kagome. He knew she would be safe with the golden hawk demoness.

And so here he was, moving as fast as demonly possible, even though that wasn't so fast for him. He had to see for himself. And if it was true, if it was really happening, then he had a job to do. He had a message to pass on. He had promised her and he was a demon of his word if nothing else. And once that was done then he would have another rather long journey to warn another to be ready, that they would be coming to see him sooner rather than later and that he would have a very important job to do for her. He had always been rather fond of Kagome. She was nice and rarely flattened him. She treated him with at least a modicum of respect, something he couldn't say about Master Inuyasha. She had even allowed him to drink from her before after a long and tiring trip. Her blood was one of the best he had ever tasted, full of magic and power. Though he had a feeling he would not be savoring her lovely life's fluid again as he doubted Sesshoumaru would approve of such a thing. But the loss was worth it. If it was really all coming to pass then Misaki would finally be able to rest happily and move on to her next life.

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He was getting rather suspicious. She had been acting oddly for days. He noticed her humming while she cooked his breakfast, sitting and smiling at nothing when he came home from school. He had even caught her dancing in the kitchen, alone and in silence. He was pretty sure his mother was losing her mind. He had never seen her so happy. She had always tried to look happy but he knew she was sad inside. Though he had never met the man there was one thing Souta was sure of. His mother had definitely loved his father. And she missed him. He understood, really he did. All he had were photographs and stories. At least Kagome had some memories of him, but he had been just a baby when his father died. It was hard sometimes, seeing his friends with their fathers, playing catch, taking them fishing, the man to man talks. He loved Gramps, really. But he was just so weird sometimes. Souta just couldn't rely on him for advice. He had been forced to stoop to asking his sister and Inuyasha how to tell a girl he liked her. Like either of them had any idea how to share feelings honestly. That had been one of the most embarrassing weeks of his life.

But back to the issue at hand, his mother had been acting so differently and he had no idea why. Was it possible that she had found a boyfriend and just hadn't told him yet? He had never understood why she didn't at least try to date. She was still young enough but she had spent the last ten years alone, almost like she was waiting for her husband to come back to her. Maybe she had finally figured out that he was never coming back? Sure, it would be weird for another man to be dating his mother but she deserved to be happy. If she remarried then at least there would be a man in his life, maybe someone for him to look up to, because he was beginning to think Inuyasha wasn't the best role model. Too many times had his sister returned from the feudal era fighting back tears because he had left her for that other miko, the dead one. Souta couldn't understand that either. Why would his hero Inuyasha keep hurting his sister? Why would he choose a dead girl over a live one who obviously worshipped him? A step-father couldn't be **that** bad. Then maybe he would have someone to teach him to shave, help him learn to drive, someone to explain girls to him, because he definitely didn't understand them. They were all so confusing, his mother, his sister, and the girls at school, all of them, females as a whole. He wished his father had never died. If he had never left them things would have been so much easier. Sometimes he would pray that somehow he could come back and make their family complete again.

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Akihiro had been thinking for quite a while now. A scroll in the library that spoke of a human girl, most likely Rin. A hidden scroll. Had he ever come across it? Had he ever read a scroll even slightly similar to the one Kagome had brought back? He was coming up with nothing and it was really beginning to frustrate him. Of all the scrolls he had read, somehow he had managed to miss the one that they needed. Maybe it wasn't in the library after all. His grandmother had not mentioned the library in the dreams as far as he knew. But she had said his name so he had to know something. He tried to think of anywhere else a scroll might be hidden on a shelf in the palace. Had he read any from anywhere else? Maybe from his father's study?

Yoshi had been watching Akihiro for the last hour as he became more and more frustrated. Eventually he decided to do something about it. "Akihiro, you need to stop thinking about it. Remember what Mama said yesterday? She said she always remembers something as soon as she stops trying. Give it a rest and think about something else."

He looked at his eldest brother for a minute before nodding. "Yeah, you're probably right. It's just driving me crazy. Grandmother said my name so I must know something, but I can't think of anything that I have read that could even be close to what she was talking about."

"You will. If you are meant to then you will. Come on. We're all gonna go play tag for a while. I'm pretty sure father and Mama are going to be gone for a while since he put up a barrier around them. Nothing else to do really besides coloring. We have been rather lax on our training lately and at least tag keeps us moving."

"Alright. I'm coming." Akihiro stood up and walked with the group to the open area they had claimed as their own play space. Rin followed along carrying Kazue with her. She didn't want to play tag but there were some pretty flowers in the field and she wanted to make a flower crown for her Mama. When they reached the area the brothers made a point of telling Rin to stay close and asking Kazue to keep an eye out for any danger just in case they missed it while playing. Their happy big sister merely nodded before bending and setting Kazue down gently and starting to gather flowers for her upcoming creation. Maybe she would make one for Sango too. She had seemed kind of sad. Maybe some pretty flowers would help.

As she went about her task Kazue found a way to occupy herself as well. She had spotted a grasshopper and attempted to catch it but it bounced away. She followed after it, pouncing through the grass that was higher than she was. She made sure though that while she was playing she never strayed far from the cute little human girl she had been entrusted to protect. She also kept her senses trained on the whole area. Nothing would sneak up on her today. She was still kind of confused as to how that boar demon had managed to sneak up on them the other day, even though they had been talking she and Kirara had both been scanning the area. It was like it had come out of nowhere. Maybe it had something to do with the jewel shard. Maybe it had found a way to hide its presence until it was nearly on top of them. Whatever it was, she was determined to make sure it didn't happen again.

She liked the little girl, Rin. She always wanted to pet her or snuggle with her, but unlike most children she was very gentle. She never pulled her tail or her ears. She talked to her too. She talked to her like she was anyone else even though she couldn't understand any answers she gave. The little human girl was certainly comfortable around demons. Kazue had noticed how close Rin was to Ah and Un. She was always bringing the two headed dragon treats, flowers or certain grasses she knew they liked. She wondered what it was about her that made her so at ease with demons when most humans feared them. The little girl most definitely reminded her of Kagome in lots of ways. Not just her kindness and cheeriness, or her friendships with demons either. Though their eyes were different colors, their hair, the shape of their faces, their smiles all were so similar. Rin could pass as Kagome's blood child. And their auras felt nearly identical, their scents so much alike. If she didn't know better she would think that Kagome was really Rin's mother. Their similarities were undeniable.

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He was finally getting close. The trip had taken much longer than anticipated. He had taken the scrolls to the palace as he had been instructed, sending them to their respective destinations by messenger. Again he had been told that the servants had spotted Naraku's incarnation, Kagura, flying about the western lands, often coming rather close to the palace. Some of them were getting rather nervous. They had seen the power of Naraku when he had successfully tricked them all into believing he was their lord as well as through the strength of his curse. They were worried he had another attack planned. Even though the palace guards and the western army were a force to be feared the less powerful demons, the cooks and maids especially, were still afraid. Deciding something needed to be done immediately rather than taking the time to travel to the camp and back; Jaken called the guards to assemble. He ordered an increased number of guards on watch at all times to help reassure the women and children of the Palace Moon of their safety. He also summoned the captains of the army which patrolled the whole of the western lands. He spoke with both the guards and captains of the sightings of Kagura, telling them all he knew of her powers and weapons and her ties to Naraku. As she had not yet attacked or made any threats they were to just keep an eye on her. He also told them all to be on the lookout for the Saimyosho. If any were spotted they were to be killed immediately. None were to be allowed to escape. He explained that they were the spies of their enemy Naraku and that by preventing the bees from returning with information they were doing a great service for their Lord and their lands as well.

He had gathered the newly arrived scrolls and advised the head servant not only of the changes in the guard but where to send a messenger if there was an incident or if a matter of great importance arose. If an important message arrived from one of the other lords it would not do well for an extensive delay in response. Otherwise he would return in several days to check in once again, dropping off replies and retrieving any new scrolls. Jaken had also brought back with him the damaged and blood-stained hakama of his lord and the dirty clothes of the children to be cleaned. He had also summoned Natsuko to a private meeting. Lord Sesshoumaru had requested that she find something for him. It had been his mother's and he had no idea where it had been stored when she died. He wanted it found and prepared to be given to Kagome as a gift. He had even given instructions for a few slight alterations. Jaken had expected her to be surprised but she merely smiled and bowed her head, saying she believed she had an idea of where it was. She also asked the toad to ask their lord a question pertaining to the gift. Then he had finally left the palace.

He hadn't gotten very far when he spotted the large white feather that carried a creature created by the disgusting hanyou that had dared attack the heirs of the western lands. Their eyes met and his widened to an even larger size as she flicked her fan open. He had turned Ah Un in the air, preparing for the dragon to attack her but was shocked when she sent her deadly dance of blades attack not in his direction but at a swarm of the Saimyosho he had just spoken with the guards and captains about. She was attacking those who were supposed to be on her side!

When the bees had all fallen to the forest floor below she spoke. "Tell your lord what you have seen. I will allow no spies of Naraku to report about any happenings in the western lands for as long as I can. It should give him more time without an attack. Naraku is trying to form a plan to gain possession of the miko and to obtain the power of Lord Sesshoumaru. The less he knows the weaker his plan will be. Tell the miko I spoke the truth. I wish only to be free of that monster but he holds my heart and could kill me in an instant so I am forced to follow his orders. I know they don't trust me but it may eventually be to their advantage to consider what I have to share." He nodded, nearly losing the little brown cap that covered his very bald very green head. She turned the feather then and retreated to continue her search.

And now he was almost there, almost back to camp. He was rather worried that Lord Sesshoumaru would be angry at him for the delay. It was nearing sunset. As they flew over a clearing he heard Rin's cry of "Master Jaken!" and looked down at the little girl. She was waving at him so fast he was afraid she would end up hitting herself in the face or dislocate her shoulder even. He watched then as Kazue transformed, helped Rin onto her back and took to the air. Within seconds the energetic human girl was beside him chattering about how happy she was to see him and they continued to the campsite, the boys all following on the ground. Sango, Miroku, and Kirara looked up as the two large demons landed. The monk had been reading one of the books Kagome had brought back for him and Sango had been preparing dinner while she and Kirara spoke in silence. She had been just about to call the children back to eat and she laughed as their little demon noses twitched before they lined up, Rin following suit.

"Where is my Lord Sesshoumaru?" Jaken asked as he retrieved the new scrolls from Ah Un's saddlebags while looking around the clearing.

"With Kagome. Are you hungry, Jaken?" Sango asked while dishing out bowls of noodles for the children and handing them chopsticks.

The little toad merely nodded. "Yes, thank you very much slay… This Jaken is sorry but I do not know your name."

She smiled while handing him his meal. "Sango."

"Thank you Sango. I very much appreciate that your offer."

"Of course I offered. You're a part of this pack too. You deserve dinner just as much as everyone else." She watched as his large yellow eyes shimmered in admiration. "This is Miroku and this is Kirara," she said while pointing at each respectively. "Just in case you didn't know."

He nodded in response before swallowing down the noodles he had in his mouth. "Miroku and Kirara, and Sango. This Jaken will remember. Thank you again." He was nearly groveling in his thanks and Sango found herself quite surprised. The little toad had always been so unpleasant and rude. She wondered what had happened to change his attitude towards humans so quickly. But then it most likely had something to do with the demon lord. He would never have allowed Jaken to disrespect Kagome. That had to be it.

"Sango? Do you think Mama's ever gonna come back?"

"I'm sure she will, Rin. It's starting to get dark. They'll come back soon. But there's no reason to worry. Kagome is safe with Lord Sesshoumaru." Rin nodded her agreement and continued to slurp up the instant noodles. "But it's probably a good idea for you guys to get ready and go to sleep anyway. I'm sure she wouldn't want you guys to stay up and wait for them. You need your sleep to grow up healthy and strong."

"Alright, Sango. Rin will go to bed." Sango smiled at the little girl. The way she spoke was definitely similar to the whole 'this Sesshoumaru' bit and it was definitely cute. Once everyone had finished eating Miroku and Jaken both helped Sango get the children ready for bed. They had even managed to talk the monk into reading them a bedtime story since Kagome hadn't returned to do so. Once they had all fallen asleep, Jaken included as he had had a very busy day, Miroku was sitting by the fire. He was rather surprised when Sango moved to sit right beside him. She usually tried to keep a bit of distance so his hands couldn't reach her. He looked at the woman he loved with every inch of his being. The glow of the fire light on her face made her look absolutely ethereal and he had to fight to keep his hands to himself. He wanted to cup her cheeks, the ones on her face this time, and pull her in for a kiss, one that would let her know how he really felt. But he couldn't do that. Not as long as the wind tunnel remained in his hand.

"Miroku? Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Miroku was rather startled. She rarely used his name, usually calling him monk. "Oh course my dear Sango. I am always happy to hear your voice."

She smiled at him. She understood now. Kirara had helped her so much by telling her how the monk really felt. "I've been thinking. You know, I am so lucky to have met all of you, to get to know you. Kagome is the sister I've never had. Inuyasha, well he's sort of like an older brother. A rude and obnoxious one, but still. And you, Miroku. I am so glad that I've had this time with you. You mean a lot to me, did you know that? Sometimes I think that if only things were different maybe… oh I don't know. Just, you're important to me. I care about you." As she said this she surprised the monk even further by leaning against him and laying her head on his shoulder. She had wanted to say so much more but she didn't know how. She wanted to tell him that she loved him too, that she didn't care about the wind tunnel, and that she would rather have some time with him and then lose him then never have the time at all. But even knowing all she did of his feelings she was still afraid. She still feared he would turn her away, keep her at arms length. He didn't need to protect her. She had finally figured out that pain is a part of life and that being afraid of the pain only hurts you more. Being afraid of the pain holds you back, prevents you from experiencing wonderful things just to ensure you don't end up hurt. It would be worth it, in Sango's mind, to suffer the pain of losing him if it came to that if only they had spent the time they had making the most of each and every day. And she wasn't ready to give up either. She was convinced that they would find a way to kill Naraku, to break the curse so that Miroku could live a long and happy life, maybe even with her.

He didn't know what to say to her. He ached to tell her how he felt but the cloth covering his cursed hand and the beads that sealed the void always held him back. She was so close, her head on his shoulder. He leaned down and smelled her hair. It smelled wonderful. He moved his arm, wrapping it around her shoulders and holding her close beside him. He even managed to keep himself from grabbing her ass while he did so. Now was not the time for that. He didn't know what was going on in her mind but he knew this moment was special and he refused to ruin it. She snuggled closer in his hold and eventually drifted off to sleep. He waited a while to be sure she was really asleep before he brushed the bangs off her forehead and kissed it softly. "I love you my dearest Sango," he whispered before lifting her in his arms and carrying her to her already laid out bedding. He settled in beside her and she rolled to her side to rest her head over his heart, his arm wrapped around her waist. Eventually he drifted to sleep as well, to sweet dreams of a day when he could tell her how he felt when she was awake to hear, of a time when they could be together without the ever present threat of his impending demise. Sango smiled where her head lay on the monk's chest. She had heard him. He really did love her. Now to find a way to get him to admit it to her so they could finally be together.

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It was well after dark when Kagome finally stirred. As she woke she took in her surroundings. She was wrapped in warmth. She could feel the fur of mokomoko covering her, the softness tickling her bare skin. And then she realized she was naked. As she began to move she felt an arm around her tighten as she was pulled closer into a warm hard chest. She let out a little murmur of pleasure at the feel of her bare skin meeting his and heard him chuckle.

"And what are you laughing about?" she asked, her voice still groggy.

"This Sesshoumaru is surprised at how long you slept. And do not think I missed the sound you just made. So am I correct in the assumption that you are comfortable?"

"MmmHmm," she mumbled into his chest.

"As am I, though we should probably return to camp before the others become worried."

"NuhUhn. Not moving." He chuckled again before letting out a growling moan as she nuzzled closer into him. "And you say you want to move? I doubt it."

"If you wish to stay here then we shall. No one will bother us. My barrier still holds."

"Well then shut up and let me go back to sleep," she muttered. He leaned down and kissed her forehead gently before allowing sleep to take him once again. There was absolutely nothing like it, sleeping with the love of his near-immortal life naked in his arm, her body pressed close against his. Nothing else could be so perfect.

Iwoa – stone man

Tadao – loyal man


	44. The New Moon Approaches

**Chapter 44 – The New Moon Approaches**

Dawn found Kagome uncomfortable and rather sticky. Maybe naked hadn't been the best idea at the current time. Add to that the fact that she couldn't get up since a still sleeping demon lord refused to release his hold. She let out a frustrated sigh. "I just can't win."

"What is the trouble, Kagome?" he asked in a soft voice, never opening his eyes.

"I need to get up, Sesshoumaru. But you've got an iron grip here, you know that?"

"And where is it you need to go at this hour?"

She let out another sigh. "The spring. I need to get cleaned up before we can go back to camp."

He breathed her in deeply. "This Sesshoumaru would rather not release you to the spring."

"And why not?" She gasped as mokomoko slithered away leaving her bare before him once more. She was suddenly much more embarrassed than she had been yesterday as she watched his eyes open. He looked her over slowly, definitely taking his time at certain locations. She lifted her hands to cover her breasts from his searching gaze.

"Why do you hide yourself? You are perfect, Kagome. Beautiful, every inch of you." She was rather startled as he rolled her from her side to her back and was suddenly above her. He leaned in then for a soft lingering kiss that she found herself immediately responding to. His lips created a tingling path as he traced her jaw line and down her throat. He crossed her collar bone, leaving little nips and licks behind. Her breathing was starting to pick up as she watched his progression. His path moved down to her breasts, still covered with her palms. He nudged her left hand with his nose and she let it slip away to lie at her side. He smirked at her, fangs flashing in the slowly increasing sunlight before touching his nose to her pretty pink peak while kissing slightly below. She shivered at the touch and began to moan quietly as his tongue traced from the underside of her breast up and around, completely avoiding the nipple that was now begging for his attention. He circled closer and closer, the erotic torture slowly driving her crazy.

"Please," she whimpered and he growled his pleasure while taking the now tight, hardened tip in his mouth, sucking and teasing with his very talented tongue while she arched in ecstasy beneath him, both of her hands now wrapping in his hair that was cascading over his shoulders and lightly brushing her very sensitive skin. It was like every nerve in her body was alive and dancing as he moved from her left breast to continue his torture on the right. "Kami, if you keep this up I'm going to be addicted to your tongue."

He looked up, catching her eyes as he moved lower, kissing across her belly, her muscles rippling with her near panting breaths. "Good. Because this Sesshoumaru is already addicted to the taste of you." He spoke into her belly button, causing her to shift away from his tickling breath. She watched as he kissed lower, moving her legs automatically for him, until her head fell back and her eyes rolled back as well with the sensation. Oh yeah, she was definitely going to get addicted to this. He growled at the taste of her, the vibrations spreading throughout her entire body. He was definitely one happy demon, his face buried once more in what had to be the world's happiest place. At least in his opinion. He lapped at her, taking in the magic filled blood he so craved. She still tasted just as amazing as the evening prior. He settled between her thighs, laying on the ground on his chest so that his hand was free to join in the fun. Soon she was bucking and begging as he slowly slid one finger in and out of her oh so hot passage. She begged for him to go faster but he was enjoying the desperate cries that escaped her. He added a second digit and she exploded for him, crying out his name, or at least something that sounded kind of like it. He drank in the ambrosia her body released with her orgasm, his fingers still moving slowly in gentle shallow thrusts. As she came down to earth though, he sped up while resuming his nibbling and sucking on her clit, driving her over the edge twice more in quick succession before he finally slowed to a stop. She watched with glazed eyes as he licked his fingers clean of her juices, not missing a bit. He didn't believe in wasting something so wonderful.

As her breathing returned to normal he gathered her in his arm, kissing the tip of her nose before entering the spring and settling her in his lap once more. It took her several minutes before she could speak again as her body continued to shiver with aftershocks, causing the demon lord to smirk with male pride. "You… I can't believe… holy shit," she breathed out. "You're just… evil. Oh so wonderfully evil." She shifted, turning so that she could see him. "And you're proud of it too." She smiled at him before leaning in for a long and passionate kiss. "I've never… in my life… experienced anything… even close… to that," she said between kisses. Then she slipped away from him entirely, moving out to the deeper center of the spring and dunking under the water, swishing her hair with her hands. As she broke the surface she tossed her saturated hair over her shoulder.

He watched as the sunlight caught in the droplets that were flung from her shining skin. He noticed she was rather pale, or most of her. The majority of her skin was a milky white quite similar to his own, but her face had a more sun kissed look and her long legs were a warm golden shade from all her time in the sun traveling. He wasn't sure what he thought was more attractive. He loved her legs, especially when they were wrapped around his waist. Or his head. He wasn't picky. His musings were cut off as he became entranced watching her hands move over her body in a soft caress as she removed any dirt that had clung to her moist skin as they slept as well as the fresh sheen of sweat he had induced minutes before. It was mesmerizing to watch her touching herself. He was ripped from his trance when she slid in front of him with her back to him. He immediately knew what she wanted from him and began washing her back as thoroughly as possibly without any soap. He didn't mind a bit. It was just another excuse to touch her soft skin.

He was disappointed when she moved away but it was short lived as she began running her hands over his body this time. She pulled him to the middle and rinsed his hair, taking her good sweet time as she ran her fingers through the silver silk. "You have the most amazing hair. I wish mine was like this."

"This Sesshoumaru would prefer your hair just as it is."

She grinned at his back. "Are you like going for sweetest guy of the day award or something?"

He turned to face her, her ocean blue eyes locking with his of molten gold. "I am only speaking the truth. I love your hair just the way it is. It is beautiful. You are beautiful. Do not forget that, Kagome." He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. She blushed and nodded before turning him back around and running her hands over his back, smirking as her hands slipped lower over his perfectly toned ass, taking her revenge for his earlier gropes by taking her time and giving the firm cheeks a nice squeeze. "Perhaps you have been spending too much time with the monk," he said over his shoulder with a grin, thoroughly enjoying her exploring hands.

It was only when they had finished that Kagome realized they didn't have any towels. She had to wring out her hair as much as possible before dressing, her now moist clothing clinging to her. She had her back turned so he could dress when she felt a mist of water flying at her. There were certain things she wasn't quite ready to see, but she forgot all about them as she turned with a growl rumbling in her throat. "I can't believe you just did that! You just had to wait until I was dressed to send water flying everywhere, didn't you?! Now my clothes are even more wet than they already were!" She blushed and quickly turned back around as she noticed he hadn't put anything on yet. It was too late, though. The image of a fully naked Sesshoumaru still glistening with moisture in the bright morning sun was forever burned into her retinas. Not a bad sight, to be sure, but one she had been trying to avoid, at least for a while.

He chuckled behind her. "Did you really forget this Sesshoumaru was dressing or did you just want a peek? I would have gladly allowed it." His eyebrow lifted as an inhuman growl left her very human throat, her back still to him. "Since when do humans growl?"

She let out another, louder growl surprising them both. "I don't know. Since when do humans hear the heartbeats of everyone in camp? I think your youki is affecting me in more ways than one."

He had finished dressing now and he slipped his arm around her waist. "Would you wish for me to remove it?" She sighed before shaking her head. "Good, because hearing you growl is incredibly sexy."

She smiled again, forgetting her frustration, and turned in his hold. "Is it now? Well that's good to know. Now come on. We need to get back to camp before they think we're dead or something. I don't even want to think about where Miroku's thoughts are going to be."

"And he might even be right," he purred in her ear. He looked her over as she moved away from him to head back. "Kagome, come here." She walked back and was surprised when he flipped mokomoko over her head, leaving it to dangle over both shoulders down the front of her. She looked at him in question. "Your shirt was much to revealing while wet." And it had been, the wet fabric clinging to her breasts, her erect nipples poking out in a very visible fashion. He refused to allow the monk to see her as such.

She smirked as mokomoko wrapped its dangling ends around her waist. "Territorial much?"

"Definitely," he said before sending her a smirk that flashed his bright white fangs once more before taking her arm and leading her back to camp, dropping the barrier as they reached it. 

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Sango was worried now. They hadn't returned all night. She had begun to think of all the terrible things that could have happened to them, each thought making her more and more upset. And things had been so nice too. She had woken to find herself still being held close to Miroku's chest. And his hand was on the small of her back, not her ass which was a surprise. He hadn't wanted to let go either. She had been forced to prod him awake so she could move at all. Once she had finally managed to stand she surveyed the camp, and that's when the worrying started.

"Sango, dear, I'm sure they are perfectly safe." Miroku was trying to calm her while attempting to hold the hentai smirk off his face for as long as possible. He had his own ideas of what might have kept them away all night.

They both watched as the boys started to stir. "There is no need to worry, Lady Sango. They are returning. Father has dropped the barrier." Yoshi spoke while stretching. He hadn't slept very well. The link being blocked had kept him on edge. He had become quite accustomed to being able to feel Kagome near him.

"See, Sango? I told you they were fine." Sango brushed past Miroku as she caught sight of her sister, nearly trampling her as she threw her arms around Kagome. Sesshoumaru stood, his arm still locked with Kagome's while her other wrapped around Sango. He raised his brow at the monk who answered the unspoken question. "Sango was worried." The demon lord nodded, watching as the slayer finally released the miko.

"Kagome! I was afraid something had happened to you when I woke up and you hadn't come back yet. Don't disappear on me like that! It scares the hell out of me."

"I'm sorry, Sango. It's my fault. I was too tired to come back to camp."

Sango's eyes slid over to Sesshoumaru before returning to look at Kagome. "And why were you so tired?" she asked with a raised brow. The eyebrow lift must be contagious.

Kagome scowled at her friend and sister. "That is not to be discussed at this time." She shot a look at the monk who had this smile that just screamed 'You did something dirty!' in a childish sing-songy voice. Sango merely nodded before walking back to the fire and smacking the hentai Miroku in the back of the head. Sesshoumaru was studying Kagome rather closely. She had said 'at this time'. Did that mean she planned on telling the slayer later on? She started walking to her bag, intent on changing into drier clothes, slipping her arm from his as she went. He took the time to look over his sons. They all looked exhausted. He hadn't thought of how the barrier blocking the mark all night could have affected them. Rin was still sleeping, and every other child looked as if they had been up all night.

He walked over to where they sat and lay on Kagome's bedding. "Go back to sleep. This Sesshoumaru is sorry. I did not think of how you would be affected when I blocked the mark." They nodded, each rather surprised that he had actually apologized, before settling back down to sleep which found them immediately now that they could feel her soothing presence.

Kagome had just been returning from changing her clothes when Rin woke and nearly tackled the young woman. "Mama! Rin was worried!"

"Shh, Rin. The boys are sleeping. They didn't sleep well last night."

"Oh, Rin is sorry," she whispered. She smiled as Kagome lifted her up and settled her on her hip before walking over to where Sango sat near the fire.

"Are you hungry, honey?" She watched as the little girl nodded her head rapidly. "Alright, hang on a second." Kagome retrieved another joy of her time, cereal bars and passed them out to Rin, Sango, and Miroku. Sesshoumaru had politely declined to which she merely shrugged. He was a big boy and could feed himself when he got hungry. After they had eaten Sango offered to take Rin for a bath with her and Kagome and Sesshoumaru found a quiet spot where they could keep an eye on the monk but still have a bit of privacy. 'Okay, now I want to see all the Kikyo stuff. Is there a lot more?'

'No, we should be able to finish this morning.' He watched as she closed her eyes and leaned back against a tree trunk before he did the same and began to share.

Begin Memories

Kagome was standing face to face with Inuyasha, a very angry looking Inuyasha at that. He looked ready for battle, cracking his knuckles while flexing his claws. "What are you doing here, Sesshoumaru? Come to kill off the disgusting hanyou for good?"

"Inuyasha, I have not come to fight. I came to…" His words were cut off as an arrow flew past his head.

"The next one won't miss, demon," Kikyo called out as she stepped into the clearing. "He wants nothing to do with you. You are nothing but a heartless, hateful, vicious demon."

"You know not of what you speak, wench," Sesshoumaru said with a growl.

"Sure she does, **brother**. I told her all about how you sent my mother to her death. You kicked us out when father died. Just couldn't stand a human and a hanyou in **your** palace? Why didn't you just kill us? It would have been easier. Then my mother wouldn't have had to suffer like she did. You left me out in the wild to die at the hands of whatever demon happened upon me." Inuyasha was barely holding back snarls but calmed when Kikyo rested her hand on his arm.

"You do not understand, Inuyasha. If you let me expl…" His words were once again cut off.

"I understand perfectly. I'm nothing but a filthy half-breed, worthless, an embarrassment to your **pure** demon blood. I don't care what you have to say. Just leave me alone like you always have or I'll make you, you bastard!"

Sesshoumaru merely stood there for a minute trying to decide whether to just leave or try to explain. He watched as the miko strung another arrow in her bow and aimed. "You know nothing, Inuyasha." He transformed then into his energy ball form and flew off.

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Kagome was standing in a forest, still seeing through Sesshoumaru's eyes as he looked down at a tiny flea in his hand. "I am so sorry Lord Sesshoumaru. I had no idea what she was telling him until it was too late. The miko has convinced him that you are nothing but a heartless demon. She told him you would rather kill him than look at him. She has poisoned his mind with lies of your words and actions"

"How has she accomplished such?"

"I managed to hide in his hair before he was to meet with her and heard some of her lies. She spoke to him of your reputation, saying that you are known for your hatred of half-demons, that you have ordered that any found residing in the west to be slaughtered. She told him tales supposedly told by servants of the other lords about how you speak ill of your father and his human mother, bragging even about how you cast them out at the first opportunity. Also that you are surprised that he has survived, that you have sent demons to kill him, to 'erase the stain on your family line' as she said."

"And he believed such foolishness?"

"I'm afraid so. I have tried to talk to him but he refuses to listen to me. He says he's in love with her and that she loves him as well."

"The miko has spoken her love?"

"Well, I haven't heard her say that, only him. She has spoken to him of the Jewel of Four Souls. She is its guardian and kills all demons who attempt to steal it to gain power. He had come to this village to steal it as well, hoping to become a full demon. She has somehow convinced him to use the jewel to become human. I heard her say that only a pure wish will make the jewel cease to exist and that when that happens she would be able to live the life of a normal woman."

"My brother has agreed to give up his demon half for the miko?"

"Yes, mi'lord. I have told him that it is unwise. He believes it is the only way he will ever be accepted."

"And he refuses to speak with me. It is out of my control. If he wishes to become human it is his choice. Stay with him, Myouga. Keep trying to speak with him. Perhaps he will listen eventually. He will only be in more danger if he becomes human. If someone were to find out who he is he would be unable to protect himself."

"I agree mi'lord. He would not live long as a human. I will continue to try mi'lord."

"Thank you, Myouga. Keep me informed." She watched as the little flea bowed low before leaping away and disappearing.

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She was back in the study at the palace reading over a rather boring scroll when there was a knock at the door. Sesshoumaru called out an "Enter," and the door opened. Kagome watched as Jaken walked in and bowed low before walking up to the desk and holding out his hand.

"My Lord! Oh, it's terrible! Master Inuyasha has been sealed to a tree! The miko shot him with an arrow and pinned him to the god tree! It's some kind of spell but I have no idea if or how it can be broken."

Sesshoumaru snarled and stood. "The miko will pay for her treachery."

"She's already dead, my lord! Apparently she had been fatally wounded before she shot him. He had stolen the jewel. The villagers burned it with the miko's body."

"He is not dead then, but merely sealed somehow?"

"Yes, mi'lord. You can feel his breathing and hear his heart beat. Both are slow like he is merely asleep."

"Jaken!"

The little toad jumped before dropping to press his head to the floor. "Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru? What do you wish of this lowly Jaken?"

"Gather everyone that can read and send them to the library. I want every scroll that may have even the slightest hint as to how to reverse the spell read and re-read. Find a way to release my brother from the seal of the miko wench. Do not fail me, Jaken."

"Yes Lord Sesshoumaru." He bowed repeated as he backed out of the room.

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They were still in the office but this time she could feel Sesshoumaru's exhaustion and frustration. The entire surface of his desk was piled high with scrolls and they littered the floor as well. She watched as Jaken approached looking quite nervous. "My Lord? This Jaken is so terribly sorry but we have found nothing. Every witch we summoned has claimed no knowledge of how to release him. Every miko that would speak with us said that only the miko who placed the sealing spell can release it and the miko is dead. We can think of nothing else to do. There may not be a way to free him."

Sesshoumaru let out a long sigh before nodding. "This Sesshoumaru has found nothing as well. The miko's spell will hold him forever."

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She was standing where she had been before. Sesshoumaru was standing where she would stand nearly fifty years later, looking up at Inuyasha where he hung from the arrow pierced through his chest. He looked so peaceful, exactly as he had when she found him. He reached up and touched the arrow only to be burned by the still present miko powers. "I am sorry little brother. I have failed you. I should have found some way to make you understand. I should have come for you sooner. You suffer for my failures as your brother. I have tried. I have searched everywhere, asked everyone, but no one can tell me how to free you. Only your miko can release you and she is no longer able. She has truly cursed you for eternity." He reached up and brushed the hair off his face before gently tweaking an ear. "I am sorry Inuyasha." He turned then and walked away.

End Memories

"When I received word that he had been released from the spell I had to see for myself. By then I had spent fifty years thinking things over and I had become angry at him. If he had only allowed me to speak, if he hadn't believed every word, every lie the miko fed him then he would never have been sealed. That is why I attacked and attempted to take the sword. I knew father had hidden it for his most favored son but Inuyasha had turned his back on me, on his only family so I felt he no longer deserved it."

"And that's when we all ended up at your father's grave where you tried to melt me, I gave Inuyasha the sword, and he…well…"

"He cut off my arm. Yes. Although I very much regret my attempt on your life, doing so caused him to want to protect you and allowed him to transform the sword and discover its secrets."

"I think it was supposed to happen that way. And I already forgave you for the melting thing. You saw when I released him. He tried to slice me to pieces. My first impressions are never the best." She looked up at the sky, seeing that the sun was now directly above them, morning having passed to midday. "Speaking of Inuyasha, I want you to take me with you and try to find him. He should have come back now. And tonight…" She looked around before deciding silence was best. 'Tonight is the night of the new moon. He shouldn't be alone.'

He thought for a few minutes before nodding. "Agreed. This Sesshoumaru will find him."

"And you're taking me with you."

"It would be safer for you to remain at…"

"Nope. You're taking me with you. Until he sees all you showed me I doubt he would be comfortable alone with you while…you know. He's always nervous and if it's just you that would probably make it worse. Now come on. Let's tell the others and ask Sango and Miroku to keep an eye on the kids. I need to grab a couple things too, but then I think we should go. We don't know how long it will take to find him and we need to reach him before sundown." She stood up and started bouncing on her toes. Sesshoumaru just stared at her as she bounced.

"What is it that you are doing?" he asked with a smirk, happy to watch her breasts bouncing slightly along with her movements.

"Just come on. I want to go. I'm worried. He's never left for this long before. What if something happened? What if someone captured him?"

"I am sure he is fine," he said while rising to his feet in one graceful movement.

They walked side by side into camp where Kagome immediately dumped her big yellow bag onto one of the sheets and began repacking it with only the essentials. She made sure to bring ramen and the necessary cooking supplies. If she knew Inuyasha, and she was pretty sure she did, then he was going to be dying for ramen. Without stopping to look at them she began to talk to her friends. "Sango, Miroku, can you guys keep an eye on the kids for us? We're gonna go look for Inuyasha. We need to move fast so we're going alone. I don't know if we'll be back tonight. I'm really worried. Tonight, you know."

"Jaken will assist you," was all Sesshoumaru said. Jaken looked at his lord who had begun to put on his armor. The little toad immediately rushed over to assist his lord. Once the armor was secured he hung Tenseiga and Tokijin at his side and moved towards where Kagome was still packing while talking.

"Of course Kagome. I was starting to get worried about him too," Sango said while Miroku nodded his agreement.

"Great, thanks." She had finished packing and threw her bag on her back along with her bow and arrows. "Okay guys, I need you to be really good for Sango and Miroku and Jaken too. You can still play in the field but when they say it's bedtime that's it okay?" Sesshoumaru nodded his agreement.

"Rin will be good," the little girl said while nodding quickly.

"Yeah, okay Mama. But why can't we go with you?"

"Shippo honey, I'm really worried about Inuyasha. We need to find him fast, before sundown. We can move faster if it's just us. No talking about why. Naraku's bees have been sneaking around. We'll be back as soon as possible. If you ask nicely maybe Miroku will read you another story tonight." She walked over to the crowd of children and kissed each on the forehead. 'Sesshoumaru? Should I bring Kazue or are you gonna fly with the cloud again?'

'She shall remain here. I will carry you.'

"Kazue's gonna stay here too. When the kids go play Kazue, can you keep an eye on Rin?" The little black puppy walked over to sit in front of the little girl.

'Yes, of course Kagome. I am honored to protect the girl.'

"Okay. Sango, the boys are fine to play in the field where they have been. They'll be fine. Kazue will stay with Rin. Thanks for doing this. We're gonna go now." Kagome stood in front of Sesshoumaru and he slipped his arm around her waist before forming his cloud and taking flight.

"Wow, she was really in a hurry wasn't she?" Sango asked while looking at Miroku.

"Yes. I agree. I do not believe I have ever seen her get ready to leave that fast. Even with Inuyasha nagging over her shoulder."

"We're gonna go play then, if that's alright?" Yoshi asked. Sango and Miroku both nodded and watched as they ran from the campsite, Rin carrying Kazue in her arms.


	45. Snakebite

**Chapter 45 – Snakebite**

"So what are we going to play this time?" Yuudai asked Yoshi since he made most of the decisions.

"I was thinking we should work on our training. We can show Shippo what we do. And then maybe a good run. We have to practice so we can be able to protect Mama." The others all murmured their agreement before getting into formation, Shippo and Rin both sitting to watch. Rin loved to watch her brothers train. It reminded her of her lord Sesshoumaru and how he protects her. Shippo watched in amazement as they practiced snapping their whips, sending poison blades, always away from their observers of course. They also practiced their punches and kicks, sparring against each other. They were going to start using swords soon and were very excited about it.

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Jaken decided that now was the perfect time for a nap. The young lords could protect themselves well enough since they were close by and for once he hadn't been ordered to watch over Rin. He finally had the opportunity to relax, something very difficult to do when one serves Lord Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands. He was always on his toes, trying to anticipate his lord's needs and orders. It was rather stressful and he definitely needed a break.

Sango decided to take a nap as well. She still wasn't feeling too great and once Kagome finished her exams they would be traveling again. The slayer knew to take a break when one presented itself. Inuyasha was a slave driver when it came to their travels, always wanted them to go further and go faster. She wasn't looking forward to finding out how Sesshoumaru was. She had a sneaking suspicion that he would be even worse, but then he would probably be worried about Kagome and not push them too hard. Either way, she was going to enjoy her moments of freedom and relax.

Miroku was laying in the shade reading one of the philosophy books Kagome had brought him. He also knew the value of downtime and was rather enjoying sitting on his ass for a bit. So long as no demons attacked the day was looking to be a nice one full of rest and reading.

Ah Un and Kirara had wandered off to look for something to eat. Kirara had, of course, told Sango she was leaving. Now that she could she didn't miss her chances to talk to her friend. The two went off in opposite directions, Ah Un looking for some nice delicious grasses and Kirara starting to hunt. She was hungry and was looking forward to taking down something big. She had been spending most of her time in her tiny kitten form but she still needed to eat often enough to make sure she had enough energy for a battle if one occurred.

In the village Kaede was putting the finishing touches on the subjugation beads Sesshoumaru had requested she make. She had told him they would probably be ready today and was rather surprised he had not shown up yet to check. He had seemed rather impatient. It was kind of funny, she thought, that he was eager to be subjugated. Inuyasha would probably call him crazy. She wondered once more what word Kagome would choose. She decided not to send anyone to their camp. Sesshoumaru was sure to come for the necklace soon enough. No need to scare the snot out of another villager. The last one had yet to come anywhere near her hut again, probably afraid she would send him on another 'harmless errand'.

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"So where do we start looking?" Kagome asked while watching the scenery gliding by beneath them. She was much more comfortable this time than the last. She knew for sure now that he wouldn't drop her so she was enjoying the view.

"This Sesshoumaru has an idea as to where Inuyasha may have gone. We will check there first."

"Oh, where do you think he went?"

"There is a small cave in the western lands. He has used it from time to time in the past to hide and rest or to wait out a night such as tonight."

"He never mentioned it. It's probably his special place, somewhere he feels safe. Definitely a good place to look." She smiled up at him. "I hope he's there. How long will it take to get there?"

"It should take under an hour if we fly there directly." He tightened his arm around her, pulling her chest flush against his own before burying his nose in her hair and breathing her in deeply. 

"Yeah, your armor sucks. It's hard. And I have to make sure I don't impale myself on those damn shoulder spikes." He loosened his hold slightly, having forgotten about the armor. He didn't want to hurt her by pressing her to the bone plates too hard.

"This Sesshoumaru apologizes for your discomfort. Tell me some more about your time. It will make the flight seem faster."

She tilted her head, thinking. "Like what? It's hard to know where to even start. Everything is different."

"Tell me of demons in your time. I could find nothing of them in your books."

"Uhhh, yeah. That's because there really aren't any demons in my time. They are things of legends, stories. No one believes in them anymore. They're fairy tales. I didn't know demons really existed until I was dragging into the well by one. Gramps was always telling me stories but I thought they were just stories."

He furrowed his eyebrows. No demons? How was it even possible? "So you are saying humans know nothing of real demons."

"Yeah, and Inuyasha can't sense any and neither do I. Either they're all gone or they can hide themselves expertly. Kind of unnerving, right?"

"Yes," he said slowly. "I do not see how demons would disappear completely. Perhaps they have adapted to hide themselves from your human population. This Sesshoumaru should live far longer than five hundred years."

"Maybe they are really good at hiding. I hope so. I can't imagine all the demons from this time dying. Hmm, so you think you might be alive somewhere in my time?"

"It is possible. Being a taiyoukai I am nearly immortal. It is possible for me to be killed but I will not die of old age. In five hundred years I would only age five years or less."

"I think about it a lot really. I think it might be possible that my coming to the past may change the future. It gives me a headache though to think about it. It gets so cyclical. My time here changes the future but then it would change me before I fall through the well, changing my experiences so that when I fell through the well things might not be the same because I wouldn't be the same. But then the whole born of two eras only complicates the whole thing. If I do what I am meant to do in this time will I not be sent back again? Would my father not need to leave us? I don't even know if I would be born if I wasn't needed. But then how did I get here now if I'm not even born in the future? See?"

"Yes, I can see how that would get rather confusing. I suppose we shall see eventually."

"You really think something is going to keep me from aging and dying like a human should?"

"Most assuredly." They fell silent for a while, each one lost in their thoughts of mortality and immortality. Sesshoumaru refused to believe he would be dead in five hundred years and Kagome would not die either. He would find a way if fate did not already have a plan. The prophecy did mention a transformation. Perhaps it would be the solution to her worries of death. Either way, he would not allow her to leave him now that he had her by his side.

Kagome had been trying to untie the knots she had tied her brain in with the while timeline discussion when she felt a familiar tug on her soul. "Sesshoumaru! I sense a jewel shard!"

"In which direction?" She pointed north and he extended his senses while floating in a stationary position. Not too far away he sensed a demonic presence near a large number of humans. "We will investigate."

"But what about Inuyasha?"

"I believe the demon that I sense in the direction you indicated is attacking a human village."

"Oh, well then let's go! We need to get the shard before Naraku anyway and I don't want more people to die because of the jewel." She felt as they changed directions. It wasn't long before she could feel the demon aura as well.

"You will stay behind me. Let me protect you."

"You know I'm not helpless! I can fight!"

"I know you can fight but I would rather you not if at all possible." He listened as she let out a frustrated sigh. "I will retrieve the shard for you. Please, Kagome. I do not want to put you in danger."

"We'll see. It depends on what happens when we get there." He growled in frustration. "Oh quit your growling. If I'm not needed then I will stay behind you. The shard is close, right over that hill." She pointed to a grassy mound that was blocking their view of the valley below. When they reached the top of the hill and looked down what they saw wasn't pretty. They hovered in place while evaluating the situation. There was more than one demon, several actually, and they appeared to be separating the villagers by force. Women were being dragged to one area while the men and young boys were being held back in another. Several of the men were attempting to fight but were being tossed back like rag-dolls.

"Which one has the shard, Kagome?"

She looked closely before she spotted it. "It's the big one just standing there, right by the women. What kind of demon are they?"

"They appear to be more snake demons. There must be a nest in the area."

"What do you mean more?"

"The night I found your kit I killed several stalking a village in my lands. We are close to the border between the Northern and Western lands, but still in the north. You will stay back. They may be dangerous."

"Yeah, sure. I'll bet. Now let's go before they start killing people!" They flew down into the valley, immediately attracting the attention of the attacking demons. The largest one who had the jewel shard merely watched as they approached, the others taking up battle positions. They were ugly things, almost as bad as the boar had been, maybe worse. Their skin was a sickly yellowish green and there were scales on their cheeks, forearms, and chests. Just the apparent leader had legs. The others were human-like in shape from the waist up but all snake down from there, standing upright on their tails. They all had orange slitted eyes and Kagome had to hold back a shudder as one's long, forked tongue slithered out, appearing to taste the air. They had no noses, just a flattened looking bump with little openings, and no ears either, just holes on the sides of their heads. They had no hair. Instead scales covered their scalps, forming a ridge that stuck out at about eye level all the way around their heads that stopped close to their eyes.

"Ahhh, I sssssee you have been sssso kind assss to bring me a beautiful woman. Thesssse village wenchessss are sssso plain. But thissss one looksss absssolutely delicioussss. Take her!" The women that had been thrown at his feet were whimpering and crying while the men still struggled against those that held them.

Sesshoumaru snarled as several of the demons moved towards them. "You are a fool if you think you will take what belongs to this Sesshoumaru."

Their odd shaped eyes widened slightly and they slowed their pace until their leader yelled once more. "Kill him! He isssss but one and you are many! And he issss but half a man. He hassss only one arm!" Being reassured by basic math they began their approach once more at a heightened speed.

He couldn't use the Tokijin in such close proximity to so many humans without risking injuring them or destroying their homes so he was going to have to fight with his claws. He released Kagome and she moved behind him a few steps, grabbing her bow and stringing an arrow, ready if she was needed. The snakes that had not moved to attack watched on with interest while holding the men and boys back and were treated to quite a show. As they moved closer Sesshoumaru flicked out his whip, wrapping it around the throat of the closest offender. He hissed in pain as his skin sizzled. With just a flick of his wrist the whip sliced through his neck, his head dropping to the ground, the body following shortly after. After that everything was a blur. They rushed at him as one and found themselves flying through the air, their spines snapping as they collided with trees. One got a clawed hand through his chest. Once the hand was pulled back the hole grew larger as the corrosive poison ate outwards. He fell to his knees before collapsing completely, his major organs all having completely dissolved. Two more were beheaded by the whip like the first while several found themselves missing arms, screaming as the poison spread from the gushing wounds into their torsos before also dropping to the ground and remaining still.

The leader hissed in anger before ordering the others to attack the demon lord as well. When they left the men they had been guarding several of the villagers began to run towards their women still holding to each other in fear at the largest and lead demon's feet. "Stop! Stay back!" Kagome cried out to them. The men skidded to a stop, staring at the oddly dressed woman with the bow.

A few women began to notice that the leader was distracted; watching as more and more of his men were killed by tall dog demon that had intruded on his fun. They started to crawl away slowly but their movement attracted his attention back to them. "And where isss it you think you are going? You will not essscape, my new sssslavesss!" He extended his hands, each finger turning into a long snake; mouths open wide, fangs dripping a yellowish substance. The long snake appendages wrapped around an ankle of one, the wrist of another, and the throat of a third, dragging them all back to his feet. The other women screamed as the new snakes hissed at them, rearing back and threatening to strike.

Kagome glanced at Sesshoumaru who was still busy with the attacking snake demons before looking back to where the shard-possessor lifted the one he caught by the ankle, laughing as she screamed in terror and her clothes fell over her head, temporarily blinding her and giving him a show. "Let her go!" Kagome screamed. He looked in her direction, sending her a dark fang filled smirk and lifting another village woman in the air, shaking her to make her scream louder. Kagome released her arrow, slicing through the snake holding one of the women in the air. She fell the short distance to the ground and Kagome now had his full attention.

"A priessstesss. You dare attack the great Hebitoru? You will regret that. I would have allowed you to ssserve me but now you ssssshall die." His snake fingers released their holds on the other women and he took a few steps towards Kagome who had readied another arrow. Seeing that he was distracted once more the women made their way to the men of the village, some running, some limping, and some crawling through the dirt.

"I will do no such thing. You're disgusting, kidnapping women! And a coward too, sending your followers to their deaths rather than fighting yourself." The demon now identified as Hebitoru rushed towards her, extending his tentacle like snakes at her. She released her arrow but he managed to dodge. She fumbled for another arrow but didn't have time. One of the snakes wrapped around her wrist. Kagome let out a shriek and tugged back, trying to release his hold. In seconds the head of the snake loosened and fell to the ground along with nine others. Sesshoumaru had turned just in time to slice through them before more reached her. The heads on the ground hissed and writhed, snapping at her feet. She backed up and Sesshoumaru stepped between the offending demon and her.

"Now you will die," Sesshoumaru snarled before rushing the demon who dared to attack his Kagome.

"Be careful, Sesshoumaru! He has the shard!" Kagome yelled.

Hebitoru's eyes snapped to her as he jumped back, bending backwards matrix style to avoid the approaching claws. "You can ssssee my sssshard." He was drawn back to attention when Sesshoumaru wrapped his whip around both wrists, yanking them together and causing the new snakes that had emerged to screech in the most awful high pitch while writhing in pain.

"Where is the shard, Kagome?" he called back to her. She studied the struggling demon looking for the telltale glow.

"It's under the scales on its right arm! Shit!" she yelped. While she had been distracted one of the disembodied snakes managed to reach her and had latched onto her ankle. She jumped back away from the rest which were closer than she thought, nearly stumbling as she felt the fangs tear at the tendons in her ankle. She tried to shake the thing off but its fangs had punctured deep and its hold was tight.

He immediately felt her pain and fear. As the scent of her blood hit his sensitive nose his eyes bled red. He lifted his arm quickly, dragging the offender closer with the whip still sizzling around the snake demon's wrists. In an instant he had buried his claws in Hebitoru's chest, releasing his poison as fast as it would flow. The screaming snakes began slam into his armor in an attempt to sink their fangs into him wherever they could find. Several latched onto his arm but he didn't even feel it.

The snake merely hissed at him. "Your poissson cannot harm me. I am invinssscible with the power of the ssssshard. And while you ssstruggle with me the priessssstessss ssshall die."

Kagome was starting to feel odd. She lost her balance and fell backward, landing hard on her ass and jolting her spine. She knew she had to do something. She pulled a hair ribbon out of her bag after what seemed like endless digging. She tied it around her leg below the knee as tightly as possible. She could see the course of the poison starting from where the snake head was still holding on. There were sickly yellow-green lines traveling up her calf, the deadly substance flowing in her veins. Once she had tied the knot securely she reached for an arrow, charged it as much as she could while in her dazed and pained state and stabbed it into the snake's head, purifying it into dust. She could barely move and sat staring at the oddly colored blood leaking out of the punctures.

She was in serious danger. His mate could die. The beast, who now had full control, snarled again before yanking his claws from the snake's chest and slashing at its throat. Blood gushed from the wound and the demon began to fall. Sesshoumaru sliced the right arm off before the demon hit the ground and in seconds had filleted it open and removed the shard. With the shard held tightly in his hand he turned and raced to where Kagome sat. "It… hurts. Poison… blood… stream." She was barely conscious as he took in her condition. Within seconds he had her ankle in his mouth, sucking the poison and tainted blood from her leg.

The villagers had been gathered in a small crowd, the women behind the men who held farming tools as weapons. They watched in fear as the large snake demon had fought the tall silver haired demon. They were silently praying for the snake to lose, too afraid to attempt to aid the fallen woman with miko powers that had protected their women. When the demon called Hebitoru fell they caught sight of the demon that had come to their rescue. His eyes were blood red, his markings jagged. He had lost control of his blood beast during the fight and now they had a new demon to worry about. When he approached the fallen woman they watched on in horror. He sunk his fangs into the woman he had been protecting. If he would attack her then he would surely attack them as well. The men gathered up their nerve before approaching, pitchforks and pick-axes in hand. "Demon, get away from her! Leave us be!" one yelled.

"No…wait…" Kagome gasped at them, trying to hold up her hand to stop them. The beast released her leg for a moment to snarl threateningly at the approaching men before resuming his task.

'Save her! Save our mate!' his beast screamed in his head.

'_Release your hold on control so I can try!'_ he snarled back. His beast pulled back enough for him to regain control but refused to fully retreat. He would not leave their mate, not when she was in such danger.

The villagers backed up for a moment before deciding they had to save the miko. They could not allow the demon to kill her when she had tried to save them. The demon was too far gone to stop himself. They knew a demon whose beast was in control was the most dangerous. The blood lust would compel them to kill and kill. They steeled their nerves and approached again, their weapons held out in front of them shaking with their fear.

"Stop… leave him… not hurting… me."

The men ignored the weak words of the miko, being completely focused on the demon they had to stop somehow. One of the women however heard her and realized what she was trying to say. "Stop! Leave him alone! He isn't hurting her!" she cried at them while rushing to reach them. "She came with him. He protected her. He's not hurting her."

"Fool! Are you blind? He has his fangs buried in her flesh right now!" He took a threatening step forward, lifting the pitchfork he held in preparation to stab it into the demon. He moved forward another step before flying backwards. The others looked around, trying to figure out what had happened. Seeing no reason for the man to have suddenly taken flight another stepped forward to take his place.

The woman watched as Kagome looked at him before lifting her hand slightly, the man flying back just like the first. "Stop! She is protecting him!" The woman reached forward slowly, gliding her fingertips along the surface of a barrier that shimmered into view, glowing a bright pink at her touch. "Do you see now?" she asked as the other men stood in shock and began to back away.

"Sessho… (gasp) maru…" He looked up at her, having removed as much poison as he could. What had already spread through her body, though, was slowly killing her. Her skin was turning yellow, she was sweating, and her eyes were glazed. He could detect the sour smell of death dominating her normally beautiful sweet scent. He had to do something, anything else. His beast was screaming, begging for her to stay. He was not ready to lose her, either half of him. In an instant he leaned down and pressed his lips to her, pouring his youki into her weakened form. He pulled back to look at her but nothing had changed. It wasn't helping. He lifted her now limp form to lean against his chest before putting his wrist to his mouth and tearing it open with a fang. He tilted her head and cut a slice on the side of her throat. As the blood began to pour from her he pressed his bleeding wrist to the cut he had made. Her eyes stared into his for a few moments before fluttering closed. He still held the still bleeding wounds together as he listened to her breathing become ragged and as her heart beat slowed to a stop. Their connection died as she did, sending pain ripping through his chest.

'No! No! She isn't dead! Save her! Use the sword! Do something! Bring her back!'

Sesshoumaru couldn't move, couldn't even breathe. He had failed her. He had allowed her to be injured. He had allowed her to die.

Miles away ten demons were terrified. Eight transformed, howling their pain and one cried out for his Mama. One more transformed beside her friend and companion, waking her from her nap. 'Kagome is in trouble. Sango, hurry. I will take you to Rin.' In seconds the once sleeping slayer was on the fire-neko's back and in the air. A few seconds more and she was standing beside a little girl who was crying her eyes out while begging someone to tell her what was going on.

Sango held Rin close to her and watched as Shippo jumped on a transformed Kazue who took flight. The pups in their demon forms took off at high speed and Kirara flew away too. By the time Miroku had reached the two everyone had disappeared into the distance. Sango tried to soothe the crying girl. "I don't know what happened honey, but I know that Sesshoumaru would never let anything happen to Kagome. I'm sure she's fine." _'I hope she's fine. Please be fine Kagome. I can't lose you.'_

Hebitoru – I made this one up. The character and the name. Hebi means snake according to my notes here, and toru means penetrating or wayfarer. Guess which meaning I chose. Yeah, I bet you're right. So this one should mean penetrating snake? Close enough for me.


	46. From Between Worlds to Between Brothers

**Chapter 46 – From Between Worlds to Between Brothers**

Kagome was in a dark place. Everywhere she turned was unending blackness. She could not see the ground beneath her feet. She couldn't even see her hands as she held them in front of her face. She called out into the darkness. "Hello? Is anyone there? Where am I?" Suddenly she saw a small pink light in front of her. She immediately started moving toward it but no matter how fast she ran it never seemed to get closer. "What is happening?! Someone answer me!" she screamed into the seemingly endless space.

"Calm yourself, Kagome," a soft female voice whispered. "You are safe. You are not alone."

"Who's there? Why is it so dark?"

"You are in-between. This is the only place I can speak to you."

"Who are you? In-between? Am I dead?" she cried out, terrified.

"Who I am is of no consequence at this time my dear. You are not dead. Not entirely."

"Not entirely? How can I be not entirely dead? What does that even mean? Damn it! Why can't I see?!"

"Kagome, I only have a short time. Please, I need you to calm down and listen to me."

She took in a couple deep breaths in an attempt to calm. When she was as close as she was going to get she spoke. "Alright. I'm okay. Talk."

"The shards, Kagome. They are a part of you. A part of your body, a part of your spirit. They call to you. They need to become one with you again."

"What do you mean? I have some shards but how do I…"

"You must press each shard to your heart. They will be pulled into you, become a part of you. No one will ever be able to take them from you. They can never be removed from you again. Each will make you stronger, more powerful. That is all I can tell you now. You have to go back to him. He needs you. They all need you."

The small pink light faded and Kagome was left in darkness once more.

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They were running as fast as they could and could feel the two larger demons, one carrying Shippo, flying above them. They had been planning a run, but not like this. They were heading to where they last felt her. She couldn't be dead. It wasn't possible. No, this had to be something else, something like the well. But this time they had felt fear. They had felt pain. But it couldn't mean that she was gone. They just got her! How could she be gone?! How could their father have allowed such a thing?

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As he stared at her, at her closed eyes, her dark lashes, her pale lips, and her sickly yellow skin his wrist slid from the now sealed wound at her throat, his hand falling to her chest. He opened his clenched fist to spread his fingers, covering her heart. A tear fell down his cheek and landed on hers, followed by another and another. They each slid down the curve of her beautiful cheek and past her cooling lips, tracing her jaw line and rolling down the delicate curve of her throat. His tears pooled on her chest before reaching his outstretched palm. There was a sudden blinding light originating from under his hand, shining out between his fingers. He had to close his eyes at its intensity, the villagers who had been watching in complete silence shielding their eyes as well.

The light started to fade and he slowly opened his eyes. He could feel her again. Their connection had returned. Then he heard it. Her heart had started to beat again. It was slow but it was beating. He looked down at her, studying her face. Her eyes flew open as she took in a gasp of air. She looked up at him as her breathing regulated, her eyes full of confusion looking into his which mirrored her feelings perfectly. Somehow she was back. He didn't know how and he didn't care. It didn't matter how. She had come back to him. He leaned down and kissed her, long and slow before moving to kiss every inch of her face. He kissed her chin, her cheeks, her nose, her eyelids that had fluttered closed again during their kiss, everywhere he could touch with his lips he did before returning to her now pink lips once more.

"I will never let you die again. I am so sorry, Kagome. I failed to protect you. I placed you in danger and I didn't protect you. Never leave me again. Please, promise me. Never again." His voice was a desperate whisper filled with his pain.

The villagers were frozen in shock. Whispers of "She's alive," and "He saved her," drifted through the crowd, though neither of them heard them at all.

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A little bit closer than last time seven running white inus skidded to a stop and the two flying demons landed at their side. They were relieved. Confused but relieved. They could feel her again. Now they needed to decide what to do. Did they continue on to find her or did they go back to camp and wait?

"Someone should return to camp and tell Rin and the others she is okay," Shinji said to the others in inu, barking rather than transforming to speak.

"We should all return. That is what Kagome would want," Kazue replied.

"But I wanna see Mama!" Isamu whined, literally.

"We will all return. She will come back in the morning. It is what father would tell us to do. She is safe with him. She is even happy at the moment so we do not need to worry." Yoshi looked at the others who looked like they wanted to disagree. "Neither of them would want us running around the forest after dark. If something else happens we will go to her. She doesn't need us now while they are searching for Uncle Inuyasha." They all grumbled but agreed and the group turned to return. Their sister needed them, needed to know things were alright. And the slayer and the monk were sure to be worried as well.

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She reached up and cupped his cheek with one hand, wiping away his tears with her thumb. "You cried for me," she whispered.

"I love you. I thought I lost you," he whispered back, leaning into her touch.

"Sesshoumaru, I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for. This was entirely my fault."

She sat up and pulled herself into his lap and threw her arms around his neck. Looking into his eyes she could see traces of red that were slowly fading back to gold as his arm moved to hold her tightly. "No it's not." She snuggled her face into mokomoko which wrapped around her waist in response. "I should have stayed further back or at least paid more attention to my surroundings."

He shook his head before burying it in her neck, his nose pressed into her pulse and his eyelashes brushing her skin. "It was my fault. You will not convince me otherwise. How do you feel? Are you in any pain?" He breathed her in, reveling in the beautiful scent that no longer held the stench of death.

"No, I'm fine." She looked surprised for a moment. "Huh, I really am fine. No pain or anything, but how did I…? Tell me what happened."

"I tried to remove the poison but it had already spread too far. I gave you more youki but it didn't help. I even gave you my blood. I am immune to most poisons because of the strength of my own. I was hoping with some of my blood you would be able to fight the poison, but it didn't work or it was too late. And you died. You stopped breathing. Your heart stopped beating. Our connection cut. I thought I lost you. And then there was a bright light. I had to close my eyes and when I opened them the connection had returned and your heart started beating again. I don't know how but it doesn't matter. You're back." He looked up as he felt a presence approaching. It was the woman who had stopped the villagers from attacking him.

"We want to thank you for rescuing us," she said while looking at their two saviors. "I do not even want to imagine what would have happened if you had not arrived."

Kagome turned and smiled at the woman, her skin now back to a normal healthy shade. "No problem. It's kinda what I do," She looked at the demon lord who held her tightly. "…and once that guy threatened me there was no way he was going to leave here alive. Oh! Sesshoumaru, did you get the shard?" She watched as his brows furrowed. "What's wrong?"

"I remember taking it out of the arm. It was in my hand but I don't know what happened to it. I must have dropped it."

"No, I don't sense it at all." Her eyes widened in realization. "Was it in your hand when you put it over my heart?"

"It is possible but that does not explain where it went."

"Oh yes it does. But there's no time for me to explain. We need to go. It's almost sunset already!"

"Please, stay the night with us! We owe you our lives."

Kagome looked at the woman as she stood up, finding that her ankle no longer hurt a bit. "I'm sorry but we can't stay. We have somewhere to be."

A man stepped forward now. "You will always be welcome in this village. Please come and see us again so we can repay you. May we know the names of our saviors?"

Kagome reached down and untied the ribbon from her leg and grabbed her bag, bow and quiver of arrows from the ground while Sesshoumaru stood directly next to her, making sure she was steady and wouldn't fall. He had a feeling he wouldn't move more than a foot away from her for a very long time. When she stood again she smiled at all the people before speaking to the man who she guessed was the village headman by his much nicer clothing. "My name is Kagome and this is Lord Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands." She laughed lightly as gasps spread through the crowd. "And we have to be leaving. Take care, alright?" They all had dropped to their knees and were nodding with their heads nearly touching the ground.

"There is no need to kneel. You should keep watch for more snake demons. I believe there is a nest nearby. This Sesshoumaru will take care of it as soon as I can." He watched as they looked up hesitantly before nodding at them.

"We appreciate that very much my Lord. Thank you very much Lord Sesshoumaru and Lady Kagome," the headman said carefully. Sesshoumaru wrapped his arm around Kagome and formed his youki cloud, lifting them off the ground and back towards the west.

"You're not gonna trap me in a tree again, are you?"

He chuckled before nuzzling into her neck again and pulling in her scent, so full of life once more. "I cannot promise such."

"I hope he's okay. We're not going to make it before sunset and we're not even sure he's there. Oh Kami I hope he's there."

"I cannot think of anywhere else he would go. We will be there in just a few more minutes."

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Inuyasha hadn't realized the new moon was coming until it was too late. He had felt his senses weakening as the day wore on and he knew he would never make it back to camp before sunset. He would just have to stay in the cave until dawn. He'd done it tons of times before and no one ever found him. He was safe here in his secret place. He sat just inside the entrance, watching as the sun crept lower and lower in the sky. For a moment he had a really odd feeling, like something awful had happened but in a few minutes the feeling was gone as if it had never been there at all. All thoughts on the strange feeling were forgotten and he grimaced as the transformation began. It didn't necessarily hurt but it wasn't any fun as his ears slid from the top of his head to the sides and shifted into human shape. His gums tingled as his fangs pulled in and his fingers twitched as his deadly claws became useless, dull fingernails. His hair and eyes changed color and he found himself squinting in the darkness.

"I should have built a fire," he muttered to himself. "Damn I'm hungry!" The now human hanyou moved deeper into the cave using memory alone since he couldn't see a thing. It was going to be a long night.

With his weakened senses Inuyasha never saw it, never heard the buzzing sound, and never smelled the scent of Naraku that it carried. But it had seen him. A single Saimyosho had watched from among the leaves of a tree right outside the entrance to the hanyou's secret hiding place. It wouldn't be secret for long. Neither would be his biggest secret. It had watched as he transformed from a rather powerful hanyou to a weak, defenseless human. The poisonous insect flew away, heading directly to his master. Naraku wouldn't get to use the information tonight but he only had to wait a short while until the next night of the new moon arrived. And then the inu hanyou would be vulnerable once more. If only Inuyasha knew that the date of his death had already been set. He only had twenty-eight days to live.

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"Can you sense him yet? Or smell him?"

Sesshoumaru couldn't help the growl that escaped him. He was beginning to get frustrated, as that had been the seventh time in as many minutes that she had asked him the same questions. "Kagome, I told you. When I sense him I will tell you. There is no need to ask. The cave is in that rock face in the distance."

Kagome squinted her human eyes in the increasing darkness, trying to see what he was talking about. "I'm sorry. I'm just worried. The sun has already set and we haven't reached him. I am always more comfortable when I am with him and I think it helps him too. Did you know I'm the first person to ever find out? Besides family of course. But he never told Kikyo. The live one or the undead one. He never trusted her with his secret."

"He chose well when he chose to trust you. He is here and safe. We'll be with him in a minute." Kagome let out a sigh of relief as they landed in the opening to the pitch black cave.

Inuyasha heard a noise at the entrance to his hiding place followed by footsteps. He couldn't see who or what was there and it frightened him more than he would ever admit. He stayed perfectly still and held his breath.

"Inuyasha? Where are you?" Kagome asked the darkness.

"Kagome? How the hell did you find me? How did you get up here?"

"This Sesshoumaru brought her."

"Fuck, Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled from the darkness. "Why did you do that? Now nothing's gonna be able to stop him from killing me! You know I can't take him like this. Damnit!"

"Inuyasha, shut up and relax," Kagome said calmly. "He isn't going to hurt you. He brought me because I was worried and didn't want you to be alone tonight. Why did you leave? And why didn't you come back before tonight? You should know better!" Behind her Sesshoumaru wrinkled his nose. There was just the slightest trace of a familiar scent lingering here but it was too weak for him to identify.

"Damn, woman. If you're gonna ask questions at least give me a chance to answer them. I needed some time alone to think. That's why I left. And I didn't realize how long I'd been here until I felt it starting. By then it was too late. Did you really have to bring him here? This place was a secret. Now that bastard knows about it and I'll have to find a new one. I'm fucking starving! Tell me you have some food in that bag of yours."

"Uh, Inuyasha? It wasn't a secret. I'll explain in a minute but let me find you some food first." She began to rifle through the bag before producing a flashlight and turning it on. "It there anything to start a fire with? I brought ramen for you. If not though I have some jerky and chips too."

"There's wood in the corner. Do you have your fire sticks?"

"My matches, yeah."

"Fine. Point that light over here so I can find the wood and get it ready. And then I want some jerky. I haven't eaten for days and this human body seems to mind a whole hell of a lot more than my hanyou form." Kagome held the flashlight aimed at the rear of the cave and watched as Inuyasha gathered and arranged the wood before she moved over to start the flames. In minutes there was a roaring fire and the cave was bathed in light. Inuyasha took the jerky she offered him before moving to the back of the cave once more to watch her prepare the ramen and glare at his brother.

Sesshoumaru stood behind where Kagome knelt, looking down at her. He couldn't bring himself to move away. He wanted her in his arms, not on her knees serving his ungrateful little brother. Feeling the eyes on him he glanced at said brother, seeing the distrusting way he was observing him. "Is there a problem, brother?"

Kagome looked up at them both. "What's wrong? Inuyasha, are you alright?"

"Keh. I'm just fuckin' perfect. Just wondering why the bastard is staring at you like that is all."

"Inuyasha, don't call him a bastard. You two need to get along and your attitude makes it a lot more difficult. Here, eat your damn noodles and be quiet for a while." Seeing her remove the pot from the fire he scooted forward and grabbed the chopsticks she held out to him before digging in. There wasn't a whole lot of point in her putting the noodles in a bowl since he was going to eat them all anyway. "Don't eat too fast. If you haven't eaten in days and you gorge yourself like you like to you'll end up being sick."

"I don't get sick, wench. You know that."

"Sure. Sure, but don't come whining to me when you throw up your dinner because you ate it too fast. You're human at the moment, remember?"

He just shot her a look and a "Keh," before returning to his beloved instant noodles. She let out a sigh before settling against the cave wall. Sesshoumaru sat down beside her and she leaned into him, resting her head on his fur covered shoulder. He couldn't hold back the smirk as his little brother's eyes widened and his hand froze halfway to his mouth, noodles slipping from the chopsticks to land down the front of his haori.

"I'm really tired all of a sudden."

"This Sesshoumaru is not surprised. You have had a rather busy day."

Kagome laughed softly. "Yeah, you could say that." She looked up then. "Inuyasha, are you okay? You've got noodles all down the front of you."

Her words snapped him out of his moment of frozen confusion. "I'm fine, Kagome. I just… your… your touching him."

"Yeah, and? Look, I know that he told you he was interested in me so don't play all shocked. Yes I'm touching him. He told me how he feels and I'm pretty sure I feel the same way so you're just gonna have to deal with it. Besides, there's something I want to show you, some things you need to know, need to see first hand."

'She feels the same! Did you hear? She loves us back!'

'_Yes, this Sesshoumaru heard. We do use the same ears. How would I have missed it?'_

'No need to be so rude. You should be jumping up and down!'

'_This Sesshoumaru does not jump around like a child.'_

'You're lucky she can see through your tough exterior. You need to loosen up.'

'_She died in my arms less than an hour ago. However happy I am that she believes she feels the same as we do it does not change the fact that I failed to protect her.'_

"You mean you actually like the great lord of the icicle?" Sesshoumaru failed to hold back the snarl the erupted from him at his brother's words. He was still on edge, his beast still floating just below the surface. While he wasn't fighting to get out he was still holding on to a portion of control which was keeping Sesshoumaru from fully relaxing.

Kagome looked up at him as the snarl echoed in the small cave. Completely ignoring Inuyasha she reached out and gently traced the markings on the right side of his face. He leaned into her touch, closing his eyes and breathing in her scent. She didn't even look towards the hanyou as she chastised him once more. "Inuyasha, you need to stop the name calling. Don't make me say it. We both had a busy day and a very difficult evening today. Please, just be nice for me for a while, okay? Finish eating and then I'll show you. Maybe then you can stop being such a jerk."

"Keh. I'm not being a jerk! I'm just trying to protect you! You can't trust him, Kagome. You don't know. You have no idea what he is really like!"

She turned and glared at him. If he had them at the moment his puppy ears would have plastered to his head. "I know. I understand more than you do. Damn it! Fine." She stood, careful not to hit her head on the low ceiling, and knelt right in front of Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru merely watched as she removed the chopsticks and pot from his hands and set them to the side.

The human hanyou was looking at her in confusion. "What the hell are you doing? I was fucking eating that!"

"Close your eyes."

"What the…"

She growled, the sound rumbling in her throat. "Close…Your… Eyes… Now." He looked into her eyes and saw that she was serious.

"Alright, fine. Geez, Kagome. When did you learn how to growl?"

"Never mind that. Just relax." Inuyasha took a breath in and closed his eyes. He stiffened slightly when she rested her hands on his head, her fingers buried in his black hair. "I said relax. I'm not gonna hurt you." He relaxed a bit and she started. She showed him all the things Sesshoumaru had shared with her over the last few days, showing him the truth about things he never before understood. When she was finished he went limp and leaned forward into her arms. His face was buried in the crook of her neck as he soaked in all the comfort she could give.

"Is it true?" he whispered into her throat. "Are you sure it's true?"

"Yes, Inuyasha, it's true. I could tell when he showed me and I know you can feel it too."

"But… all this time…?"

"You never understood him. He's nothing like you think. Inuyasha, he wants to be your brother again, like when you were little. Do you think you could do that? I know it might take a while for you to get used to everything, but wouldn't it be nice to have a real brother instead of an enemy?" She could feel his tears rolling down her neck as he nodded against her. "Good. That's really good." Slowly he pulled back from her and looked to where Sesshoumaru still sat, wiping his eyes on his sleeves.

The demon lord slowly nodded his head at his little brother. "It is all true, Inuyasha. This Sesshoumaru has tried in the past to explain things to you."

"I know. I never let you talk. I'm… I'm sorry… really. I don't understand why… why did Kikyo lie to me? Why would it matter to her whether we got along or not?"

"I think that she wanted you for herself. She was lonely and you were lonely and you formed a kind of bond based on how each of you was separated from everyone else by one thing or another. If you and Sesshoumaru had talked you would probably have left her to go home. I think she was afraid you would leave her and she would be alone again." Kagome spoke softly while running her hand through his hair.

Inuyasha watched her closely as she spoke before nodding his agreement. "I guess that makes sense."

"But none of that matters anymore. All of that was supposed to happen just the way it did or the prophecy wouldn't come true. If she never pinned you to that tree then I would never have come to release you." Kagome was startled when he swept her into his arms.

"Thank you Kagome. Thank you for helping me. I don't know what I would do without you."

"You don't need to worry about that. You will always be my friend. Always."

"Even if you end up with him?"

"Of course, silly. He's your brother, your family."

"I already promised you I would never take her away from you, brother. It was the truth then and it is still true now. You are welcome at the Palace Moon Inuyasha. You always have been and always will be."

Inuyasha slowly released Kagome and both brothers stood. Kagome watched, close to tears, as they embraced for the first time since the death of their father. As he pulled back Inuyasha smirked. "Okay, so you're not a huge asshole but I'm still warnin' ya. If you hurt our Kagome I **will** kill you."

"I would expect no less."

Kagome smiled widely. "Our Kagome? I was unaware I belonged to either of you let alone both."

"Yeah well you better get used to it. You're mine. But I'm willing to share you with him so long as he treats you right."

Kagome laughed aloud before handing the once again seated hanyou back his chopsticks and noodles and moving to sit beside Sesshoumaru once more. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she drifted off to sleep with her face buried in mokomoko once more.


	47. Don't Fuck With Mom

**Chapter 47 – Don't Fuck With Mom**

It had been a while now since they had returned to camp to let everyone know the Kagome was safe. Rin and Sango nearly cried once more in their relief. Miroku calmed and silently thanked the Kamis. Even Jaken looked relieved. Kirara and Kazue returned to their smaller forms and everyone had settled in for the night. Everyone was asleep now, they were sure of it.

Isamu and Yuudai had pretended to sleep as they waited for everyone else to drift off. Now that everyone was oblivious to their movements the two rose and moved silently out of their camp. They didn't care what Yoshi and Shin said. They were still worried about their Mama. The mark had cut. She had been dead. They were sure of it. They had guessed that father had used his sword on her to bring her back. It was the only thing that made sense. But whatever had happened that had allowed her to be injured and die while with their all powerful father was what worried them. What if they needed help? While her emotions didn't necessarily indicate it, it could still be a possibility. Her emotions had been changing rapidly since the mark had returned. She had felt happy and relieved for a while before becoming nervous and worried once again. Then she was frustrated and then happy again but now she was asleep. They refused to wait for her to come back to them. They needed to know that she was alright **now**. And so the two youngest sons of the inu taiyoukai of the west snuck away from their brothers and the rest of their pack. Once they were far enough away they transformed and took off, running in the direction they could feel her in.

It was dark, really dark. Only the stars illuminated the sky, the moon in hiding for the night. Even with their demon sight it was dark but they refused to be frightened. They would not return to camp. They would find her. They ran through the forest as fast as their little legs and youkai strength could carry them, running to their Mama.

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He had been rather surprised when just a single Saimyosho returned to report. What the solitary insect told him however, that was even more surprising. He had been trying to discover Inuyasha's night of weakness for years now and finally the hanyou had slipped up and revealed his secret. And now a plan was forming in his warped, evil mind, a plan that would finally kill the hanyou and that would break the very soul of the miko who loved him. He would be able to take her then and she would help him find the rest of the jewel shards. She would no longer have the will to fight him with her hanyou gone. He was sure of it. Naraku chuckled darkly while polishing his glowing black portion of the jewel he so coveted. Tomorrow he would begin to ready things for this new and wonderful plan. He had much to do and he only had twenty-eight days to do it in. The evil smirk that spoke of misery and death danced on his face, his red eyes shining in the darkness. Yes, soon the hanyou who had plagued him for so long would finally die.

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While he finished his beloved noodles, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru spoke quietly, making sure to not wake their sleeping miko. They talked like each had secretly wished for, like real brothers. They shared their feelings for the woman who meant the world to them both. They talked of the past and began to understand each other's actions over the last two years. Kagome had only brought a single blanket with her, leaving the majority of her bedding behind for the children. When he had finished his dinner Inuyasha retrieved the blanket from her bag and spread it on the ground. He watched as his brother, using his one arm and his mokomoko, lifted the most important woman in either of their lives and lay her gently on the makeshift bed. He felt a jolt of guilt at the sight. He had taken his brother's arm, his brother who had secretly protected him for all those years. It didn't seem fair, not even a tiny bit. He hadn't just taken away an arm. He had taken Sesshoumaru's ability to hold the woman he loved tightly in both arms. He couldn't pick her up without help. He wished there was some way, any way to return what he had stolen. Hell, if Inuyasha could have given Sesshoumaru his own arm to replace the one he had taken he would have. He knew what it was like to hold Kagome with both arms and it wasn't right that Sesshoumaru never would.

The fur curled around her, forming a pillow under her head and covering most of her form to keep her warm. Usually he would stay awake the entire night of the new moon but he was tired and he was sure his brother would detect any trouble and ensure their safety. Inuyasha lay on one side of the sleeping miko and Sesshoumaru lay on the other after having removed his armor and swords. Each snuggled into her, neither minding the other a bit. They understood each other now. Inuyasha knew that Sesshoumaru loved Kagome and would never do anything to hurt her. Sesshoumaru knew that Inuyasha loved Kagome as his best friend or sister and she loved him just the same. And so the two alphas and the beta of the pack lay there in the dimming light of the fire and the two brothers drifted off to sleep, each comforted by her presence.

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They had to stop and take a break. They had been running at top speed for over an hour but they were probably only a quarter of the way to her at the very best. Being the youngest, Isamu and Yuudai couldn't run as fast as their brothers and certainly not for as long. The two sat panting for several minutes before resuming their course. They would be lucky if they reached her by dawn but the two determined little boys didn't realize it. They hadn't taken the time to think things through before they started out and it was too late to reconsider now anyway. They were determined to keep running and to find her, no matter how long it took them.

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Kagome was in the gardens of the palace once more, but this time she sat on the edge of a beautifully ornate fountain. Beside her sat a beautiful woman but it wasn't Sesshoumaru's mother this time. No, it was Inuyasha's. It was Izayoi. She smiled at the miko and Kagome found herself smiling back.

"You have brought my son much happiness. You have not only returned to him his only remaining family but have given him a whole new one as well. For this I must thank you." The human princess's voice was soft and melodic and Kagome was rather relieved to be able to hear what she was saying. "There are several things you need to know. If you do not do as I ask my son will die in but a month's time." Kagome gasped and opened her mouth to speak but was silenced by Izayoi's raised hand. "Do not ask how or how it is that I know. My beautiful Inuyasha has a weakness given to him by my blood and if he does not receive your gift in time it will be that weakness that shall bring about his downfall."

"My gift?"

"Yes, Kagome. The four spirits that combine to make up your heart and the source of your powers must remain so that you may complete your mission. You have four gifts to give, one to each of the embodiments of your spirits to strengthen and protect them. My son, your courage, cannot die before the prophecy is complete. This is why I have come to you. His gift cannot wait. You must give it to him now."

"Okay, but what is the gift? How do I give it to him? I don't understand what I'm supposed to do."

"Before you leave your place of rest for the night you must connect him to yourself as you have done with the others. From there you must allow instinct to guide you. The other gifts will reveal themselves when they are most needed. You must be going soon but first, please, could you give a message to my Inuyasha?" Kagome nodded. "Please tell him that I love him and that I am so proud of him. Tell him that everything has happened like it was meant to and that the path before him, though long, will lead him to everything he desires."

"I will. I'll tell him for you. Lady Izayoi can I ask you something?"

"Of course my dear."

"How is it that you can speak with me clearly but Sesshoumaru's mother could not? She has been trying to tell him something but neither of us understands what it is."

"Misaki has been gone from the living world much longer than I have. Her spirit grows tired and weak. Her message will become clear with time. You need to wake now. There is much you will need to do once dawn arrives."

Kagome watched as Izayoi faded away followed by the garden around her and the fountain she sat on until she was surrounded by darkness. Slowly she opened her eyes to see a raven haired boy sleeping peacefully beside her while she could feel the warmth of another pressed against her back. Looking around she couldn't see much. The fire had gone out during the night. She tilted her head back as far as she could to look out the opening of the cave. She could see the first signs of dawn approaching. She looked back at the human Inuyasha as she felt the pulse of power from his still sleeping form. She always loved to watch him change. It was amazing and beautiful, absolutely mystifying. She smiled as she watched his hair turn its bright silvery white and his ears shifted and changed until they were once more the puppy ears she adored so. She could see one fang poke out over his bottom lip and she could see his fingernails grow into the claws he had used so many times to protect her. Slowly he opened his golden eyes and met hers.

His voice was a whisper as he spoke. "Lemme tell ya, I don't think I've slept so good in years, and never on that night."

"I know. I was surprised to see you sleeping. Inuyasha?" she whispered back.

"Yeah?"

"The marks I have from Sesshoumaru, Shippo, and the boys, would you want to do that too?"

He hesitated before he started. "I… Kagome I can't… It would only…I wish I could… I just… can't."

The deep voice that came from behind her surprised them both as they had both assumed he was still sleeping. "He fears that marking you would put you in danger. Other demons would know you bore the mark of a hanyou and would kill you for it. But his worry is foolish."

"Why the fuck is it foolish?" he asked while sitting up, whispering completely forgotten. "You know how demons feel about hanyou. I couldn't put Kagome in that kind of danger."

Sesshoumaru sat up, pulling Kagome with him so that she rested in his lap with his hand on her stomach. "It is foolish because she also bears the marks of nine full demons. Very few demons would notice your mark as it would be far surpassed by the power of the others. It would not now put her in danger as it would have in the past. Is there a reason you asked, Kagome?"

She giggled as she felt his nose nuzzling into her neck. "Stop, stop. Serious conversation here and I can't do that with you tickling me like that." He pulled back rather grudgingly, causing Inuyasha to snicker at the pouting look on his brother's face. "You stop it too. I had another weird dream."

"Did you dream of mother again?"

"Well, I dreamed of a mother, but it wasn't yours. It was your mother, Inuyasha. She spoke to me last night. She said that you need to bond with me like I did with the others. You're going to be in danger on your human night next month and if I don't give you my gift you'll die, and I apparently can't give you the gift until we bond."

"You talked to my mother? Are you sure?" Kagome nodded before leaning forward and reaching up with one hand, brushing it through his hair while showing him the dream. "It… it really was her," he said so low Kagome wouldn't have heard it if it wasn't for her oddly increased hearing.

"She said I have a gift to give to each of the four that will strengthen and protect them and that they'll reveal themselves when they are most needed."

"So then you could understand everything Izayoi said?" Sesshoumaru was rather bothered by that. Why could Izayoi communicate clearly but not his mother?

"Yeah. I asked her about it. She said your mother has been gone longer, that her spirit is tired. She isn't strong enough. But she said we would understand her message eventually. So it's safe for Inuyasha to mark me then?" He nodded behind her. "Inuyasha, I would love to wear your mark. It wouldn't put me in danger and you know I love you just the way you are. It doesn't matter to me what you are, only who you are."

"Really? You wouldn't be embarrassed?"

"Why would I be embarrassed to be bonded to my best friend?" She watched as the insecure look on Inuyasha's face melted into one of happiness, real happiness that went all the way to his eyes. "Well? Come over here and do it then!"

Inuyasha scooted closer and looked at her. "Where, though? If you keep this up you won't have any plain skin left!"

"Uhhmm," Kagome said as she thought. Where could he put it? She didn't want it to be somewhere where he would feel like she was hiding it, but she also wanted it to be somewhere she could see it. She never understood people who got tattoos on their backs. Why go through all the trouble for art you can't even see? "How about on my right arm here below Shippo's? There's enough room, right?"

"Yeah, should be. Are you sure you want to do this Kagome? I'll understand if you don't. I don't want you to be doing this just because my mother…" 

"Stop it Inuyasha. Of course I'm sure. I would have asked you whether your mother spoke to me or not so it doesn't matter whether it's now or later. Now get on with it. We need to get back to the others sometime this morning."

"Are you gonna mark me too, like you did the kids? I noticed Sesshoumaru doesn't have your mark." He reached up to touch the skin where his mark would be for the rest of her life.

She smiled at him as his claws grazed her arm carefully. "Do you want me to? It's a good idea, at least I think so. It should protect you from others with holy powers."

"Why didn't she mark you then?" Inuyasha asked while looking at his brother.

"We have yet to discuss it. Stop delaying and mark her Inuyasha."

The hanyou looked into his brother's eyes before looking away in shame. "I don't know how," he said softly.

Kagome reached out and used his chin to turn his face back towards her. "There's nothing to be ashamed of. It's not your fault."

"This Sesshoumaru will tell you how. It is not difficult or complicated." Kagome sat still as Sesshoumaru explained the process and watched as Inuyasha marked her, connecting them forever. His mark was just as original as the hanyou himself. There was a red crescent moon turned on its side so the open side faced down. On the top curve of the moon were two silver ears, making the moon look similar to a headband with ears. Under the crescent moon was the transformed Tetsusaiga, the giant fang curving the whole width of the moon. The end even had the fur of the real sword. "Quite an impressive mark, I must say brother."

"It's perfect. It's you. The ears, the sword, the moon in red, just perfect. I love it. Thank you, Inuyasha."

When she smiled at him he could feel her happiness through the connection he had just created. It was an amazing feeling, being connected to the person he trusted with his very life. To be able to know when she needed him so he could keep her safe was what he had always wanted but had been too afraid to do. "I want you to mark me too, Kagome."

"Alright. Just relax and don't fight it. Shippo said it didn't hurt, that it felt like being surrounded by warmth. Close your eyes for me." Kagome placed a hand over his heart and one on his forehead, never leaving Sesshoumaru's lap. She closed her eyes and called her power. Sesshoumaru watched with interest as the teardrop formed under Inuyasha's left eye, flaring to life before settling into his skin. "So how was it?"

Inuyasha opened his eyes slowly and looked at her. "It was… it was amazing. It felt like you had your arms wrapped around me, like every bit of your love and caring was focused solely on me. I'll never forget it."

"What… is that?" Sesshoumaru asked slowly. Kagome and Inuyasha turned to look at what he was staring at. It was a box, Izayoi's box, the one he could never open. It appeared as though red light were shining out through the seams.

"It's my mother's but I have no idea what's inside. I could never open the thing."

Kagome felt herself being drawn to the box as she slid from Sesshoumaru's lap, stood, and walked towards the glow. "Kagome, we do not know what is causing the glow. It may not be safe. Do not touch…" He stopped talking as she touched the box as if she couldn't even hear him. At her touch the lid to the box lifted on its own. Inside was the now obvious source of the glow. Resting on the black velvet lining of the box was a stone, a crystal. It was a translucent red and in the shape of a heart. The surface was faceted, adding to the beauty of the item. Kagome reached out and touched it. The second she did the bright, glowing light disappeared and the heart broke. The top left quadrant of the crystal separated from the remaining three quarters of the heart.

Inuyasha was frozen in place. All of the long years he had possessed the box he had never been able to open it but it opened for Kagome. The crystal heart was beautiful and he felt drawn to it, like it was a part of him, that it would complete him. He watched it break and she picked up the two pieces. With her right hand she reached out to him, holding out the larger piece of the mysterious item. He reached out to take what she offered. As his fingers met with the surface everything went black.

Sesshoumaru had managed to catch her before she hit the ground but his brother wasn't as lucky and had fallen to the rocky cave floor. He didn't know what was happening but he didn't like it one bit. She and Inuyasha were unconscious or in a trance or something. Neither responded as he called out to them. No, he didn't like this at all.

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It was already past dawn and they hadn't made it to her yet. They were close, they knew, but they were tired. They had stopped at a stream to drink, transforming to their humanoid forms and kneeling at the waters edge. Neither was paying much attention to their surroundings as they gulped down the wonderfully cold liquid.

"Demons! What is your reason for being so near to this village?" At the angry female voice they turned to see a woman dressed in traditional miko's clothing holding a bow with an arrow trained on them. They didn't know what to do, what to say. She looked ready to kill them. Her hatred was so strong they could smell it in her scent as it reached them on the breeze. "Answer or die," she hissed at the two children.

"We… we're just… just getting a drink. We were thirsty," Yuudai said, trying his best to not quiver as he spoke.

"We mean no harm. We didn't even realize a village was nearby." Isamu sounded a little calmer than his brother but he was just as terrified.

"Lies! Disgusting beasts. Did you come to steal our children? Or to slaughter our animals?"

They both looked at her in shock. "No! We're looking for our Mama, that's all. We stopped for a drink. We would never attack a village."

"More lies. Demons cannot be trusted. They should all be slaughtered on sight, killed like the beasts they are." As she spoke she pulled the arrow taut and released it, sending the brightly glowing projectile flying for Isamu's heart.

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Everything was shrouded in darkness. "Not again," Kagome groaned. "I didn't even die this time!"

"Kagome?" Inuyasha called from what sounded like right beside her. She felt his hand on hers now, as she still held the pieces of the red crystal heart. "What the hell do you mean you didn't die **this** time?"

"Never mind. Not now. Is anybody there?" she called out to the darkness.

A white light slowly started to glow in front of them as the pieces of the crystal started to glow again as well. Then she stepped into the light. "Mother!" Inuyasha cried out. He reached for her but his hand passed right through as if she wasn't there at all.

"Hello my son. I see you did as I asked, Kagome." Kagome nodded. "Let me explain. The crystal you hold contains the gift you are giving. The smaller piece will remain with you." Izayoi lifted a finger and the piece in Kagome's left hand appeared to sink into her palm, disappearing completely, though she felt nothing. No pressure or tingling, nothing that you might expect to happen when a solid piece of anything forced its way into your hand. "The larger piece will become a part of you, Inuyasha. Kagome, press the crystal over his heart." The dazed miko did as requested, holding the larger piece of the heart to her hanyou's chest over his heart. They both watched on in awe as it disappeared through his clothing, appearing to continue on into his chest. "Do you feel any different, my son?"

"Yeah…I… I feel odd. Almost like… when I'm gonna… lose control …and transform. It's like that only…only my mind… isn't changing too." He looked at his hands as his claws extended. "Kagome!" If he was going to transform then she needed to get away from him.

"Do not be afraid. This is your gift. She gives to you, her courage, the ability to access your full demon strength without losing control or risking losing your human heart or your soul. Even on the night of the new moon, though you will appear to transform into a human you will still be able to call forth your demon power if necessary. You will never be in danger during the new moon again. You will always have the ability to protect yourself and those you care about. It was Kagome's greatest wish for you, to ensure your happiness and safety."

Inuyasha looked at Kagome before throwing his arms around her and holding her tight. "Is that true? You wished this for me?"

She hugged him back while answering. "Well yeah, but I didn't know it would happen. I know how much you hate being human because you hate feeling weak and vulnerable. That's why you wanted to use the jewel to become a full demon. But to do that you would have given up the part of you that was given by your mother. It would have changed who you are and I never wanted that. I only want for you to be able to accept who and what you are and be happy."

"I must go now, my son. My task is complete and I can now truly rest. You must return. Your Sakimitama is getting rather upset and someone needs you." As her last words echoed in the surrounding darkness the human princess faded away. Kagome blinked and when she reopened her eyes she was looking into worried golden ones.

"Sesshoumaru, I'm okay," she said with a smile before finding herself the recipient of a deep and passionate kiss, his tongue tracing her lips, causing her to moan and give him full access to her welcoming mouth. Their tongues danced together for a moment until they both heard the sound of 'someone' clearing their throat rather loudly. Sesshoumaru reluctantly pulled back and stood, pulling her up after him.

"Fuck, man! Was that really necessary?"

Sesshoumaru smirked at his blushing and obviously embarrassed little brother. "Most definitely."

Kagome looked back and forth between the brothers before starting to laugh. She stopped rather quickly though when she felt it. It was a tug on her soul, a lot like when she sensed a jewel shard, except this was different. She closed her eyes and saw them. Isamu and Yuudai were standing side by side holding hands and shielding their eyes with their other hands. Around them shimmered a bright pink barrier and outside it was a miko readying an arrow to shoot at her pups. "Guys, we have to go **NOW!**"

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They were certain they were going to die. As the arrow sped towards them they stood frozen in place. A bright light exploded in front of them causing them to shield their eyes with their hands. When they realized that they were not yet dead they looked out towards the now even more furious miko who was preparing to shoot at them once more. "I do not know how you managed to deflect my arrow but I promise you will not do it again." She pulled the bowstring taut and released another, even more brightly glowing arrow. Once again the arrow met the barrier with a blinding flash of light. This time, however, when they could see again they were no longer alone in the clearing.

Their mother stood in front of them with an arrow strung up in her own bow, aimed at the offending priestess. Their father and uncle stood on either side of them, both snarling dangerously. "I don't know who the hell you think you are, bitch, but you will drop the fucking bow right now or I will kill you. How dare you attack these children, my children?"

The miko stared in confusion. She hadn't even sensed their approach. And the one who had an arrow aimed at her, she was certain the oddly dressed girl was human, another miko even, and yet she called these demon children her own? "Why do you defend the demons? Are you not a miko as well?"

"I am Kagome, the Shikon Miko. I defend the demons because they are my children. They have done nothing to you and yet you attempt to kill them. Why?"

"All demons deserve to be slaughtered. They are evil, attacking our villages, stealing our women and children, killing our animals and destroying our homes and fields. It is rather disappointing to find that the Shikon Miko is nothing but a demon's whore." Her indignant look disappeared as the eyes of the tall demon and the hanyou both bled red and their snarls increased in volume. She pulled another arrow and released it at the hanyou who was a bit closer to her. Another bright pink barrier erected itself and the arrow dissolved in a bright flash of light. "It is disgusting. You use your powers to protect the demons? The powers given by the Kamis to purify all demons from the lands are wasted on filth such as you."

Kagome reached out and grabbed Sesshoumaru's wrist to keep him from advancing. "You have no idea what you are talking about. Not all demons are evil and they do not deserve to be killed on sight."

"Ha! Just yesterday a hoard of demons attacked the village to the north of us, attempting to kidnap their women as slaves."

"Yes, I know. And who stopped them?"

"A traveling miko protected the village."

"Why yes, yes she did, with the help of a demon, of this demon. We fought the snake demons that attacked the village. Lord Sesshoumaru defeated them all and I died trying to protect their women. Your prejudice blinds you. Had you succeeded in killing these children you would have called hell itself down upon you and your village. These are the heirs to the Western Lands and this is their father, the Lord of the Western Lands." After a silent question she continued. "And you and your village are in the Western Lands. You dare insult your Lord and attack his children?" The other miko was silent. She had no idea. And now she knew she was in big trouble. Kagome walked forward, stopping directly in front of the now shaking woman who was staring at the very tall demon lord that stood on the left of the miko. She reached forward and pulled the bow from the miko's limp hold, handing it to Sesshoumaru who tightened his grip, shattering the wood into nothing but splinters. She pulled the quiver of arrows from the miko's shoulder and tossed it to the ground. "You will never again attack a defenseless child just because they are a demon. You will never purify another living thing." Kagome reached out her hand once more, this time touching her fingertips to the miko's forehead. "These powers that you claim are wasted on me, you do not deserve them." As she spoke a bright blue light shone from where her fingers met the woman's skin, flowing from her and into Kagome.

When she pulled back the woman who was no longer a miko fell to her knees and pressed her forehead to the ground. "Please forgive me. I didn't know. Please do not punish the village for my mistake."

"This Sesshoumaru does not punish those who are not deserving. Go back to your people and tell them of your foolishness and its consequences. Tell them why they no longer have a miko to protect them."

"I left you the power to heal but you will never again have the power to fight demons. The people **will** learn that not all demons are their enemies. There are good demons and evil demons just as there are both good and evil humans. Know that you are lucky to escape with your life. Go." The woman jumped to her feet and ran for her life towards the village. "Isamu? Yuudai? Why are you here?" Kagome's voice held both worry and anger.

"We… Mama, we're sorry! We were worried!"

"Yesterday the marks cut!"

"We felt you die!"

"But then the connection came back and…"

"…Yoshi made us all return to camp to await your return."

"But we couldn't wait!"

"So we snuck away."

"We're really sorry!" they cried out in unison, tears streaming down their cheeks.

Kagome walked to them and dropped to her knees before pulling them into her arms. "I'm sorry I frightened you yesterday but you should have listened to your brother. It's not safe for you to be out here alone."

"We know. We're sorry, Mama."

She kissed their foreheads before looking up at Sesshoumaru. "You will be punished for your disobedience but first we must return to camp."

"We have to go back and get my stuff and your armor before we go." Sesshoumaru nodded and in seconds they were floating away on Sesshoumaru's youki cloud while Inuyasha followed in the trees. Kagome still held the two exhausted little boys who fell asleep immediately; finally able to rest now that they were in their mother's arms.


	48. The Finished Product

**Chapter 48 – The Finished Product**

Camp was in an uproar. The boys had been jolted awake by a spike of power that burned through their marks. The teardrop on each of their faces stung for several minutes afterward. It was Yoshi who first noticed that they were missing. After a quick search of the area they determined that Isamu and Yuudai were nowhere around. Shippo immediately went to wake Sango and Miroku and the search began in earnest. Miroku stayed behind with Rin, Jaken, and Ah Un while Sango and Kirara accompanied the boys as they followed the scent trail left by their youngest two brothers.

"Why would they have left camp?" Hitoshi wondered aloud.

"I don't know but there are no other scents here. Just theirs, so they had to have left on their own," Shinji replied.

"I think they went to look for Mama," Hisoka said softly. "They were really worried last night and they didn't want to come back to camp at all."

"You're probably right, but they should never have gone off alone in the middle of the night. The forest is dangerous in the dark," Akihiro replied.

"They are going to be in so much trouble when father finds out. And Mama is going to be upset too," Yoshi added. Everyone nodded their agreement as they continued to search for the missing pair.

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Kagome had gathered her things from the cave and they were returning to the campsite. The others were sure to be awake by now and would have noticed that Isamu and Yuudai were missing. The two boys in question still slept in her arms as she sat at Sesshoumaru's feet on his youki cloud. Inuyasha followed below in the trees, leaping from branch to branch. It was about forty five minutes before she felt as they began to descend, landing in front of Sango, Kirara, Shippo, and the five eldest pups. Kagome looked them over, seeing the relief in their eyes as they spotted the two children she held.

"Oh thank Kami!" Sango breathed out. "We were so worried!"

"Did they find you, Mama?" Shippo asked.

Hisoka looked the miko over carefully. "Are you okay, Mama?"

"No, sweetie, we found them. And yes, Hisoka, honey, I'm fine. We'll tell you all about it as soon as we get back to camp, okay? We've got lots of stuff to share. It was a busy afternoon and morning too. Come on now, let's get back and let the others know everything is alright." Everyone nodded their agreement and they were on the move once more.

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Jaken was pacing and mumbling to himself while they awaited the return of the others. Lord Sesshoumaru surely going to kill him for allowing his two youngest sons to disappear while in his care. Sure, he wasn't the only one watching them but it wouldn't matter. He should have stayed awake the whole night to ensure their safety. He deserved whatever punishment his Lord could devise.

Meanwhile Miroku was doing his best to keep Rin busy so that she wouldn't worry as well. He had agreed to take the little girl to the field nearby to pick flowers for her Mama and Lord Sesshoumaru. She wanted to have two big bouquets ready for their return and the poor monk was down on his knees beside her, picking flowers and listening as she told him everything she knew about every single different one. He couldn't wait for everyone to return, although he was rather worried about what Sesshoumaru would do if they returned before the boys were found.

Kazue looked up towards the tree line in the distance, her movement attracting the cute little human girl's attention. "Look! There's Mama! And she has Isamu and Yuudai! Yay!!!" Rin leapt to her feet and began jumping up and down in her excitement as her Lord landed his cloud a few yards away. "Mama! Papa! Rin was worried!"

Sesshoumaru froze at her words and looked at the energetic child he had come to love as a daughter. He had never heard her say that before. She called him Papa. He didn't know how to respond for a moment, and Kagome glanced up to see the shock in his eyes.

'Sesshoumaru! Say something! I know you think of her as yours so why act so surprised?'

He shook the momentary confusion from his mind and moved towards the little girl who had just realized what she had said. She hadn't meant to say that out loud. As sure as Rin was that her lord loved her she had always been afraid to let him know she thought of him as her father. And now he wasn't saying anything! She watched him nervously as he stopped in front of her. He knelt before her and allowed a small smile to show on his face. "Rin, you have never called me that before."

"Rin is sorry! It just slipped out!" She looked to be close to tears.

He placed his hand on her shoulder before pulling her gently to him. His arm wrapped around the little girl and he lifted her as he stood. "There is nothing for you to apologize for. If you wish to call me Papa you may. I was just surprised. I did not know you felt that way."

She looked up into his bright golden eyes. "Really? Rin can call you Papa? You'll be Rin's daddy?"

"Of course. This Sesshoumaru considers you my daughter so it is only natural for you to call me such."

Her eyes were shining brightly with tears once more but this time they were tears of joy as she wrapped her little arms around his neck, buried her face in mokomoko, and squealed her happiness. "Rin is so happy! Rin has a mommy and a daddy!"

Sesshoumaru looked over to where Kagome held his two youngest sons, tears leaking from her eyes as well. "Kagome, why do you cry?"

"It's just… it's so sweet!" Shippo leapt onto Kagome's shoulder and whispered in her ear. "I don't know Shippo. I suppose you would have to ask him." Shippo looked up at the taiyoukai still holding Rin, wary of asking his question aloud.

Sesshoumaru looked at the kit as waves as nervousness and fear rolled off of him. "What is it you wish to ask me, Shippo?" the demon lord asked gently. The little kitsune met eyes with him for a moment before turning and looking away. "There is nothing for you to be afraid of. Ask your question."

"Well, it's… you see… the thing is… I mean…" Shippo stuttered out before taking a deep breath and getting it out as quickly as possible. "CanIcallyouPapatoo?"

Kagome laughed quietly while the kit did a very impressive impression of puppy eyes while awaiting his answer. "Of course you may, Shippo, if you so desire. Since I fully intend to make your mother my mate you would be considered my son soon enough." Shippo leapt from Kagome to Sesshoumaru while the demon lord watched the miko turn a nice bright shade of red. Looking around at the others, the monk had a very hentai smirk on his face, the slayer's face held a wide smile, his sons as well, and Inuyasha even had a small grin on his face though he was fighting to hide it. "Why do you blush so, Kagome? Surely you were aware of my intentions."

She shot him a glare. "Well yeah, sure. But I wasn't expecting you to just blurt it out like that in front of everyone! Geez! You haven't even asked or anything and yet you say it like it's already been decided."

"Would you reject this Sesshoumaru?" There was nervousness and a touch of insecurity in his voice that made her smirk.

"Perhaps. You'll just have to wait and see, won't ya?" She giggled at his expression while the hanyou by her side snorted his own amusement.

"Looks like you might have to work a little harder than you thought, eh brother?" he managed to say before the laughter overtook him once more.

"Quit picking on Mr. Presumptuous. We need to get back to camp so I can lay these two down. And then we have some talking to do. Inuyasha, can you help me out here?" The hanyou nodded and lifted Isamu into his arms and Kagome shifted Yuudai into a more comfortable position. They started their short walk to camp, everyone else falling into line behind them, Hisoka stopping to pick up a tiny Kazue as he passed.

Miroku looked down at his hands which held the two bouquets Rin had thrust at him when she had first seen the returning group. Falling into step beside Sango with Kirara on her shoulder he grinned at the beautiful slayer before holding one fist full of flowers out to her. "Flowers for the pretty lady?" he asked while waggling his eyebrows suggestively at her. She surprised him however when she merely smiled back and accepted the bouquet he had offered. No threats, not smacks, no hitting over the head with a giant demon bone boomerang, nothing. "Sango? Are you alright?"

"Sure, Miroku. I'm fine. And thanks for the flowers. They're beautiful." She fought back the triumphant smirk that was dying to get out at his confused face. "Hurry up monk, or you'll be left behind," she called back to where he had stopped walking in an attempt to focus on what had just happened. He flirted with her and she didn't shoot him down or get upset. That had never happened before! Her words startled him back to reality and he jogged to catch up to the last living demon slayer who just happened to be the woman he loved.

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Ah and Un lifted their heads to watch the procession enter the clearing. They were relieved when they spotted the youngest twins being held by the miko and the hanyou, though they were surprised to see the hanyou voluntarily assisting his brother or associating with his nephews as he had never done so before. It was a few more moments before Jaken noticed their presence. "Oh my Lord! This Jaken is so sorry that the pups managed to sneak away while under my care. It was irresponsible and reckless of me to sleep while I should have been on guard." The toad said all this while on his knees, his forehead pressed to the ground and his entire body shaking with fear.

"Calm yourself Jaken. While this Sesshoumaru is rather disappointed in the less than sufficient supervision you provided it was not entirely your fault. They have been trained in stealth and used it well to escape your watch. If Yoshikazu and Shinji failed to notice I cannot punish you for not noticing as well." Kagome smiled; proud of the way he was handling the situation. She had been concerned that he would take his frustration out on the little toad demon when it wasn't his fault. Jaken looked up cautiously, absolutely shocked that the taiyoukai had yet to punish him in any way. "Get up Jaken." Sesshoumaru turned to Kagome then. "There is something I must attend to. I will return as soon as possible. I will leave you to tell them of all that occurred." She nodded and after he carefully set Rin on her feet and Shippo had moved from his shoulder to hers he leaned in for a soft and gentle chaste kiss. "Protect her with your very life, brother." Inuyasha merely nodded his agreement.

Kagome watched as he walked away for a little while before moving to lay the little boy in her arms down on her bedding, motioning for Inuyasha to do the same. Once the two were settled and covered everyone gathered around the fire and awaited Kagome's tale. She glanced around, seeing the expectant look in everyone's eyes. "I guess you want to know what all happened while we were gone, huh?" She smiled as the boys and Rin nodded rapidly. "Alright, alright! You're gonna break your little necks if you keep that up! Okay, so Sesshoumaru and I left to go find Inuyasha. He had a guess as to where he was hiding out and we were heading there first when I sensed a jewel shard. We went to check it out and found a whole group of snake demons attacking a village. Let me tell ya, they were ugly! Their leader had the shard and he was the only one that actually had legs. The rest were slithering around on tails! Ech!"

"Yeah, snake demons can be fairly disgusting and you almost always find them in groups. They live in nests together," Sango shared.

"They even had the whole forked tongue deal. So gross! Anyway, so Sesshoumaru landed and wanted me to stay behind him. He was fighting off the followers while the leader just watched, at least until the women that had been thrown at his feet tried to sneak away. Just thinking about him gives me the heebie-jeebies. When he talked he hissed too, said he wanted the women and me as ssssslavesss." Kagome hissed out the last word for extra emphasis. "So when the women tried to get away he reached out and snakes extended from his fingers, a lot like the whole Naraku-tentacle thing, and caught them around the wrists and ankles. He was holding them off the ground shaking them to make them scream, so I shot an arrow and cut through one of the snakes holding a village woman. Of course that attracted his attention to me. He came at me and sent the snakes towards me. I shot another arrow but I missed and one of the snakes wrapped around my wrist. Thank Kami Sesshoumaru turned right then. He sliced through all the snakes and fought the one with the shard. I wasn't paying enough attention to my surroundings when I was trying to find the shard so Sesshoumaru could get it. One of the snakes he cut off bit my ankle and refused to let go." Sango gasped and the boy's eyes all widened.

"So then that was the pain we felt?" Akihiro asked.

"Yeah. Then your father killed him and got the shard and tried to get the poison out while the villagers thought he was hurting me and were going to attack him. I managed to stop them and then the next thing I know I'm surrounded by nothing."

"You died. We felt it," Hisoka whimpered.

"You what? He let you die? Damn it! He should have been protecting you!"

"Calm down, Inuyasha. It wasn't his fault. I should have been watching out for the snakes on the ground. And yes Hisoka, I died. At least that's what your father said. I was in this dark place and then there was this tiny pink light but no matter how fast I ran it never got any closer. Then there was a voice, a woman's voice. She told me that the shards needed to become one with me again, that I should press them to my heart and they would become a part of me and that they could never be removed or stolen from me again. Then she said I had to go back. Next thing I know I'm looking up at Sesshoumaru, thoroughly confused. He was too. He said I was dead, no breathing, no heart beat, the mark cut, everything and then suddenly there was a bright light and I was back. He didn't know what happened to the shard after he grabbed it, thought maybe he dropped it but it was gone. I think…"

"That it became one with you?"

"Yeah, Miroku. I'm not sure, but it makes sense."

"Perhaps you should test it then. You do have more shards and you should absorb them too then."

"Yeah, you're right." Kagome pulled the bottle of shards from under her shirt and opened it, pulling one out. She closed her eyes and touched the shard to her heart. The others watched on in awe as it sunk into her skin, disappearing completely. "I guess it works then. The voice said that each piece would make me stronger too."

"That was amazing!" Hitoshi whispered as the others nodded slowly, still in awe of what they had seen.

"Well, it did come out of your body. I guess it makes sense to put it back," Sango thought aloud.

"So the jewel shard brought you back, Mama?"

"I don't know, Shippo. She said that I was in-between, that it was the only place she could talk to me."

"That explains why the connection to you suddenly returned," Akihiro mused.

"Yep. I'm sorry I scared you guys yesterday. But I'm perfectly fine now. The villagers wanted us to stay the night but it was already almost sunset and we had to find Inuyasha. We didn't get there until after, but he was where Sesshoumaru had guessed and safe. Then last night I had another weird dream. This time it was Inuyasha's mother and she said he would be in danger and that I needed to give him his gift but he needed to bond with me first. She said I have a gift to give to each of the embodiments of the four spirits to protect them and make them stronger and that each would present itself when it was most needed. So in the morning Inuyasha marked me and I marked him too."

"Oh! Can Rin see Inuyasha's mark?"

Kagome grinned before pulling up her sleeve and showing the new mark to everyone.

"It's beautiful!"

"It definitely represents you, doesn't it Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.

"Keh, I guess."

"I love it. It is so perfect for him. After I marked him too there was this odd light seeping out of a wooden box that Inuyasha said was his mother's but he couldn't open it. I felt drawn to it, like I couldn't stop myself and when I touched it the box opened on its own. Inside was a red crystal heart and when I touched it, it broke. I held out the bigger piece to Inuyasha and then everything was dark again. Izayoi was there and told us what to do and explained his gift. Inuyasha?"

"What?"

"Show them!"

"Oh, yeah, alright." Inuyasha stood up and Sango, Miroku, and Shippo were momentarily terrified when his eyes bled red and his markings appeared, until he chuckled at them. "I can transform and access my full demon powers without losing control. I can even use them when I'm human. I'll never be defenseless and weak again."

"That's cool!" Shippo cried out.

"That will definitely come in handy. And I expect that you are rather pleased."

"Damn straight, Monk!"

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Sesshoumaru had walked directly to the elder miko's hut. She had promised him the necklace would be finished the day before but he hadn't had a chance to retrieve it. As he approached he saw her sweeping the small porch of her hut. "Ah, Lord Sesshoumaru, I was expecting ye to come yesterday."

"This Sesshoumaru had another pressing matter to attend to."

Kaede smiled a bit. "I see. Well, do come in and let me get it for you. It is ready, but I will have to give you some instructions before you can give it to Kagome to use." She watched as the demon lord entered her hut before following after him. "Please, have a seat." She moved past him and reached up to a high shelf before turning and holding the completed necklace before him. It looked nearly identical to Inuyasha's but instead the beads being purple they were red, the color matching the patterns on his haori perfectly.

She watched as he looked it over slowly. "It will work?"

"I am fairly sure it will be powerful enough to subjugate you as Inuyasha's does him, since ye gave of yourself for its construction." She lowered herself carefully, her joints creaking and popping as she sat. "Have you figured out how to discuss it with Kagome?"

He didn't respond right away, looking as if he were deep in thought. "No, I have not. This Sesshoumaru is unsure how she will react."

"I wish I could give ye advice but I have no idea how you would approach her with the subject."

"Hn. What is it you needed to tell this Sesshoumaru? I would like to return to her as soon as possible."

"Oh, yes of course. There is a short incantation that will need to be spoken. I have written it down. Once she reads it aloud then she must be the one to put the necklace on you. It should glow with her power and possibly your own as well. It is then that she must speak the word she has chosen for you. Any word will do but she should try to choose a word that she does not often use or you may end up subjugated accidentally. It should work immediately. If it does not, it is possible that Kagome will need to assist me in some small alterations. Are you sure Lord Sesshoumaru that you wish to give the girl such a power over you?"

"This Sesshoumaru is certain. The miko Kagome already possesses a greater power over myself than the beads could ever give her. If this is necessary for the well to allow me passage then I would happily do so."

"I understand. Well then, here is the incantation. I wish ye luck in convincing her." She held the small scroll and strand of beads out to him. He took both and stored them safely in the sleeve of his haori.

"I thank you Lady Kaede. If there is anything you desire in return you have but to ask."

"Oh, no. I could not accept payment. Seeing Kagome happy with her Sakimitama is enough for me." She watched as his eyebrow rose in question. "Did you think I was unaware?"

He thought for a moment before responding. "We both had our suspicions but have had no confirmation."

"**She** has, Lord Sesshoumaru. And now you have as well. I wish ye luck." She stood as he did the same and then bowed at the taiyoukai who bowed back out of respect.

"Then I thank you once more," he said before exiting her hut and heading back to the village.

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"It was something I had always thought about. She said it was my greatest wish for him. He'll never feel vulnerable again but he doesn't have to give up a part of himself. Then she said we had to go back, that someone needed me."

"That's not all she said, wench!" The hanyou grinned as Kagome blushed. "Mother said that her Sakimitama was getting upset and someone needed her."

Sango joined in the group grin. "Did she now? So then I was right, Kagome?"

"Yeah, yeah, you were right, alright? Geez!" Kagome looked around at all the smiling faces. "All of you stop looking at me like that!" She buried her face in her hands as the others chuckled softly. When they had finally silenced she looked up once more. "So I can go on then?" She watched as they nodded before she continued on with her story. "So I got this odd feeling, like when I sense a jewel shard only different and when I closed my eyes I saw those two," Kagome tipped her head towards the two sleeping pups, "behind a barrier with a miko shooting arrows at them!"

"They were being attacked?" Sango asked in a worried tone.

"Yeah, we got there right away and confronted her. The barrier had gone up automatically I think, since the boys looked confused."

"We felt that. There was a spike in power and the teardrops burned," Yoshi added in.

"You shoulda seen Kagome. She tore into that miko like I've never seen before. Really looked like a mother protecting her pups," Inuyasha said, sounding quite proud.

"Well, she had no reason to try to purify them! They're only children! And she was quite rude."

"Bitch had the nerve to call Kagome a demon's whore," Inuyasha growled out.

"Oh, Kagome!"

"It's okay Sango. I dealt with it. I don't know how I knew I could do it but I took her power to purify. I left her healing powers but she will never again attack any and every demon she comes across."

"You took her power?" Miroku asked, looking rather confused.

"Yeah. I just touched her forehead and pulled the power right out of her."

"I have never heard of anyone being capable of doing such. Very impressive, Kagome."

"Well, thanks, I think. At least now we know that they can use the power I gave them defensively. She shot at Inuyasha too and his barrier went up instantly."

"I didn't even do anything. It just happened," Inuyasha admitted. "Definitely a plus though. For a second I thought I was going to end up nothing but dust. I've had enough fuckin' arrows shot at me to last the rest of my life."

"After that we came back here. They fell asleep almost instantly. Must have been really tired from running all night. Sesshoumaru said they would be punished, but I don't know what he intends to do. I wonder where Sesshoumaru went anyway."

"I believe he may have gone to see Kaede."

Kagome looked at Miroku in confusion. "Why would he go see Kaede?"

"Well, when she sent the villager to retrieve him I overheard him…"

"Silence would be a very wise idea monk," Sesshoumaru said calmly from the edge of the clearing, instantly shutting the gossiping monk up tight. "Kagome, I would like to speak with you." He watched as she smiled and stood up before walking to where he stood and taking hold of his offered arm. They walked away arm in arm.

"I wonder what that was about," Sango said aloud. "What did you hear, Miroku?"

"Oh, no. I'm not going to say a thing. I would rather not piss him off!"

Inuyasha broke down laughing at the frightened look on the monk's face. "So, afraid of the great Lord Sesshoumaru are ya? I should have known!"

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"So what's so secret?"

"There is something I wish to discuss with you."

"Oh? Well, out with it then!"

The demon lord sighed audibly. He had no idea how to approach the subject or how she would react. Without thinking his arm slipped around her back and pulled her close to him.

"Ouch! Armor!" Kagome sucked in a breath as he immediately loosened his hold.

He looked her over closely. "Are you injured?"

"No, probably just bruised. But no tight holds until you take that stuff off!" She grinned as she watched his hand immediately move to the ties that held the bone armor in place. In just moments the armor was on the ground and Kagome was no longer. She found herself swept into his hold once again. It took a few seconds for her to realize that they were in a tree once more. "Again? Come on!"

"This Sesshoumaru desires privacy and your full attention."

"Selfish much?" she giggled before wrapping her arms around his neck. "Alright, you have my attention so what is it?"

"The elder miko Kaede believes that the reason Inuyasha can pass through the well is because of the subjugation beads."

"Yeah, and?"

"I requested she make another necklace." He looked into her eyes, trying to evaluate how she was going to respond.

"Are you trying to say you **want** subjugation beads?" She started laughing uncontrollably at the very idea. "Inuyasha…absolute..ly…hates…them. And you…(gasp)…want them? Have you…lost… your mind?"

Sesshoumaru glared down at her as she continued to laugh. When she finally began to calm he spoke once again. "This Sesshoumaru wishes to see your home and meet your family. I do not see how that is funny."

She fought to pull herself together so she could reply. "It's not that, really! It's just; you've seen what the beads do to him. Why would you want to give me that kind of power over you?"

"Kagome, you already hold much more power over this Sesshoumaru than the beads could ever give you."

"How do you figure that?"

He leaned in closer, touching the tip of his nose to her own before whispering, his hot breath rushing across her silky lips. "I would do anything for you, anything you ask, anything that you want. I would willingly serve you on my hands and knees for all of eternity if it were to ensure your happiness."

Her eyes widened as she heard his softly spoken words before pulling his face closer to her own, pressing her lips to his in a slow, passionate kiss. "That has to be the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me, but… are you sure?"

"This Sesshoumaru is positive. The miko said you would have to read a short incantation before placing the beads around my neck and saying your chosen word. She also said that you had confirmation that I am your Sakimitama. When did this occur and why did you not tell me?"

Kagome's cheeks flushed red as she blushed deeply once again. "Izayoi said that we had to return because my Sakimitama was getting upset and someone needed me. I didn't say anything because we ended up going to the boys right away. I didn't really get the chance to tell you. Why did Kaede tell you that?"

"She was confirming our suspicions for me. I find it a rather nice thought to know you are definitely meant to be mine," he said before he smirked and buried his nose in her neck. "You smell wonderful," he muttered into her hair. When he finally got past the distraction of her scent he looked into her eyes once more. "So will you use the beads the miko made for this Sesshoumaru?"

"You know you just pretty much asked me to subjugate you, don't you? Never thought I would live to see the day when someone would beg me to send them slamming into the ground." Kagome watched as he raised a brow before reaching out and poking said raised eyebrow. "You and the eyebrows! Okay, tell you what, I'll think about it. What word would I use anyway?"

"The word does not matter, although the miko suggested choosing a word you do not use often to avoid accidents."

"I'm going to have to think about the word for a while. With Inuyasha's I had a few seconds. Sit wasn't necessarily the best choice. It slips out all the time."

"So then you will put the beads on this Sesshoumaru?"

"I guess. I don't see why not. So they're already done" The taiyoukai who held her high above the ground nodded before retrieving the necklace and scroll. "Red, huh? At least you'll match. She did a nice job but I wonder if they'll be strong enough."

"Kaede thought of that. The beads are strung on several strands of my hair which should allow the necklace to draw on my power as well as your own. Kagome?"

"Hmmm?"

"You never did explain where the shard disappeared to." The next few minutes were filled with Kagome's explanation of what had occurred while she was in-between, followed by a demonstration as she absorbed the remainder of the shards in her possession. Discussion of her death caused him to pull her closer to him once again, but thankfully this time there was nothing but his warm, firm chest for her to be pressed against. Silence filled the air as Kagome thought of what word she would use and what it would be like to be able to force the most powerful demon in all of Japan, maybe even the world, to the ground with one word.


	49. Big Surprise Feudal Makeout Point

She Who the Prophecy Foretold13

**Chapter 49 – Big Surprise in a Little Package, Feudal Make-Out Point**

It took quite a while for Kagome to convince the western lord to let her down from the tree. If he had his way he would have kept her there all day long but when she started threatening to purify him piece by piece he finally gave in. She had something she wanted to do. They knew for sure now that the marks gave the pups, Shippo, and Inuyasha automatic protection from purifying arrows but she was more than curious to find out if they could use it in any other ways. She had decided to test them by explaining how to do certain things and then seeing if they could replicate them. When she entered the clearing they had all claimed as their camp she called the boys over to her. Rin came along, not wanting to be left out, and Isamu and Yuudai had awoke just a bit before and joined the semi-circle of children surrounding the miko. Sesshoumaru had refused to release her so she sat in his lap, not really minding the closeness.

"Alright guys, I want to see if the mark gave you more than just a barrier. You all up for trying?" She watched as they nodded, looking honestly excited, while Rin looked rather dejected as she would not be able to participate. "Okay, first let's see if you can form a barrier consciously." She explained how she focused her energy and directed her powers to form a barrier, demonstrating by surrounding the group with a shimmering pink dome. Then one by one the boys tried to do as she directed. Akihiro managed a small, weak shield that fell almost immediately and none of the others had any success at all. "Don't feel bad. I couldn't do it for a long time. Kaede and I practiced for months before I could manage to make one last a few minutes. How about healing?" Kagome took hold of Sesshoumaru's hand where it rested over her abdomen and before anyone realized what she was doing she cut a gash across her forearm with one of his claws.

Sesshoumaru was shocked as he felt his claw rip through her flesh, the scent of her blood drawing the attention of his beast. "Kagome, why did you…" She merely hushed him and he did his best to remain calm while holding back his blood beast, assuring him that she would be fine. He would sit back and watch what she intended to do.

The children all gasped as they watched their Mama cut herself with their father's claw. The scent of her blood flooded the clearing as the thick red fluid slid down her arm and dripped onto the ground. In an instant Kazue, Kirara, and Ah Un were approaching to investigate while the miko's hanyou rushed to her side.

"What the hell, Sesshoumaru?!?!" Inuyasha was furious and confused at the same time. It was obvious it had been Sesshoumaru who cut her, as her blood clung to the tip of his razor sharp claw, and yet she sat there like everything was fine.

"Calm down, Inuyasha. I did it and I'm fine. I'm trying to see if the boys can use the power I gave them in any way. You should try too. Join us." He looked at her hesitantly, still upset as her blood continued to flow. "Oh don't make me say it, Inuyasha." He grumbled but lowered himself to sit at her side, cross legged with his arms folded in the flowing sleeves of his haori. "Okay now, to heal you focus on the desire to heal while calling forth the power." They watched as her right hand glowed pink and she slid it over the gash in her left arm. It healed instantly. She reached for Sesshoumaru's hand once again but he pulled it back. "Oh come on. I'm not really hurting myself or anything." He refused to comply, holding his arm behind his back. "Fine, damn it." She growled low in her throat and shut her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again she ran her own human nails across her left arm, leaving four bloody gashes behind and causing Sesshoumaru to grasp her right hand and closely inspect it.

It was as he had suspected. Instead of her normal, useless human nails she had dainty claws tipping each slender finger. "How did you do that, Kagome?"

"I don't really know. I just got frustrated and then I felt it happen, felt them grow." They all watched as the claws receded into dull fingernails once more. "Probably just one more thing that's changing because of your youki. Anyway, now is not the time to worry about that. I'm bleeding here and no one is trying to heal me! Come on boys; close your eyes and focus." She watched as each did as they were told and studied their hands. Hisoka and Hitoshi managed a fairly bright glow but when they held their hand over the wound it didn't close. Yuudai got a flicker that went out almost immediately. Inuyasha tried as well but found it very hard to concentrate with the scent of her blood in his nose. Behind her Sesshoumaru's struggle with his beast was getting more and more difficult. His beast and his instincts were screaming at him to lick the blood from her arm and heal her wounds with his saliva but he knew that she would only reopen the cuts if he did. The boys were getting worried and Shippo finally produced a pink glow and when he held his little paws over the gashes the bleeding slowed and the wounds decreased slightly in size, but they did not heal completely. It was then that two little hands reached out with a glow rivaling that of Kagome herself, and the wounds healed immediately and completely, shocking everyone watching, which was basically everyone as Sango, Miroku, and Jaken had decided to observe the experiments as well. They couldn't believe who had successfully healed the miko.

"Rin, how did you do that?" Kagome asked in wonder.

"Rin doesn't really know. Rin concentrated like you said, Mama, and it worked." Everyone regarded the little human girl from which none had ever sensed any holy powers before.

"Try to make a barrier," Kagome requested gently. She watched as Rin closed her eyes and a shimmering light purplish barrier formed around the group. It held strong as Kagome reached out to touch it. Miroku examined it as well and they both found it to be solid. "Rin, have you ever done anything like that before?"

"No. Why Mama? Did Rin do something wrong?"

"Oh, no sweetie! It's just that we didn't know you had miko powers too."

The little girl furrowed her eyebrows. "Rin has what?"

Kagome giggled and Sesshoumaru decided to answer. "What Kagome is saying, Rin is that you have powers like both she and the elder miko in the village have. Although how it is possible for you to have housed such powers without my knowledge all this time is beyond this Sesshoumaru."

"You were born with the same powers as I was. I bet you could even shoot a purifying arrow if you tried."

Rin's eyes widened. "You mean Rin is special like Mama?"

"Yes Rin you most certainly are. You can help me practice with the boys and Inuyasha. Maybe you can explain how it feels for you. It might help them. It isn't something that can be shown as much as something that is learned through feel and lots of practice." The miko squirmed in the demon lord's lap as he had pulled her arm to his lips, licking the blood that had run down her wrist and hand, sucking gently at each of her fingertips, intent on not missing a drop. He couldn't help it. He had fought for as long as he could but in the end the pull of his instinct was too great. "Sesshoumaru, that tickles!" She started to laugh as she heard and felt an 'Hn' come from him without ever removing her finger from his mouth.

Once he had cleaned every speck of her delicious blood from her sweet, silky skin he slid her gently from his lap and rose before pulling her up after him. "You may continue to practice with your new power or get in some training. Isamu, Yuudai, when we return we will speak on your punishment."

"And where are we going?" Kagome asked while quirking up a brow. She let out an "Eep," as he gave her soft ass a squeeze before lifting her off the ground. Just as he had intended, her legs wrapped around him and he began to walk away. "Hey! Don't I get a say in this?"

He smirked at her but did not slow. "No. Not this time."

The others watched as the two disappeared into the surrounding forest. Miroku was the first to speak. "I wonder what that was about." Sango nodded her agreement. She had no idea what had just occurred.

Inuyasha chuckled for a moment before deciding to enlighten his human friends. "The scent of her blood called to his beast. I willing to bet he needed some private time to calm it, and only Kagome can really do that anymore. She asked for it, really, letting herself bleed like that in front of him. Am I the only one that saw him fighting not to grab her arm and lick it clean? And eventually he lost."

"I never believed I would see the day. The hanyou actually said something mildly intelligent." Jaken hadn't meant to say that out loud. In fact, he didn't even realize he did until he heard the rumbling growl from said quite insulted hanyou. "I mean… I didn't… I…" The toad demon was silenced by a fist bonking him firmly on the head, his bulging yellow eyes rolling back in his head as he fell to the ground, a lump rising immediately.

"Fucking Jaken," Inuyasha muttered. "At least he'll be quiet for a while." The monk merely chuckled and Sango shook her head before the two turned to return to their seats by the fire. The children stayed where they sat, each concentrating and focusing in an attempt to call up their power. Every now and then they asked Rin a question, how it felt, what exactly she thought when calling the power that worked for her. She was happy to finally be able to help them with something and enjoyed the whole thing immensely. Inuyasha watched them for a while before taking up his usual position in a tree overlooking the camp.

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"Sesshoumaru, are you alright?" He had been carrying her for a while now and as he walked she had been watching him. Something seemed off. His eyes held traces of red and his whole face looked as if he was engaged in a tedious battle to keep it expressionless.

He was in fact engaged in a battle of wills with his inner inu. The scent of her blood had tantalized the beast as well as bringing his natural protective instincts to the forefront of his mind. When he had finally given in it wasn't enough. He needed more, and his beast seemed intent on making him suffer for every single drop of blood that had fallen to the ground, wasted. He still wasn't anywhere near over her death the day before, wasn't even sure if he ever would be. The feelings that had flooded through him as she left the world of the living and him as well had been overwhelming. Before that moment he thought he knew what love was, thought he loved her as much as would ever be possible. But in the seconds after her breathing and heart beat stopped, after the mark cut their connection, in those few tiny instants he learned something that had taken him by surprise. He could feel every cell in his body scream in pain and loss. He had completely lost the will to do anything. He didn't want to do anything if he couldn't do it with her by his side. He had lost the will to live, even the will to breathe. That was when he realized just how much he really loved her, how deep and encompassing it was. When she returned to him he knew that he would never be able to survive if she left him. It was like Kagome was the sun. Without the warmth of her love, without her scent, without her smile, without her laugh, without her touch, without her very presence he would freeze over and everything that existed, everything that he was would perish in the bitter cold and darkness that would be left without her light.

He needed to hold her, touch her, kiss her, taste her, whatever he could do to assure himself of her presence, of her safety and her life. That was why he had carried her out of camp. He couldn't let the others see him so weak, but her, he could let her see his weakness and his fears and she would never judge him for it. And so he walked and walked, carrying the most precious cargo while fighting with his beast inside his head.

'More! Let me out! I want to taste her sweet blood. I want to feel her soft lips. I want to touch her, to love her, to make her ours!'

_'You will wait. She is not yet ready to mate.'_

'She would have been if you hadn't embarrassed her by announcing your intent to do so in front of the whole pack! And now she says 'perhaps'?'

_'This Sesshoumaru believes that she did not mean that.'_

'But you're not sure! She said she might reject us!'

_'She is destined for this Sesshoumaru. She will not reject us.'_

'Then ask her!'

_'Now is not the time. There are things she must know before I can ask permission to court her.'_

'But…'

_'I must also ask for the permission of her family, her mother and grandfather.'_

'But you're not even sure if the beads will work!'

_'If they do not this Sesshoumaru will find another way.'_

Kagome was still staring intently as his eyes swirled, entranced by the sight. It looked as if blood was being stirred into molten liquid gold, the two acting like oil and water, pushing against each other but refusing to mix. It was an absolutely breathtaking sight and she had completely forgotten that she had asked him a question at all, let alone realize that she hadn't received an answer. After several minutes she finally managed to drag herself out of the trance she had slipped into and she called out to him again. "Sesshoumaru?" Determined to get his attention this time she placed her hand on his right cheek while nuzzling her face into the left side of his throat. She allowed her tongue to slip out and slide across his pale skin, focusing her attentions where she could feel his pulse, feeling every beat of his heart. She heard him moan softly, nearly silently, and she smirked against him. Encouraged, she began placing open mouthed kisses up his throat to his ear where she gently traced the edge of the pointed and obviously demonic appendage. There was a low growl rumbling in his chest now as he was unable to restrain himself under the pressure of his beast and her attentions. He fought just to walk straight as he continued on, much slower than before. Meanwhile she had kissed her way back down to his pulse. Struck by an instant of inspiration she dragged her blunt human teeth down his throat, quite pleased with the shudder that she had incited.

He didn't know what made her decide to do that, any of it, but he didn't really care either. The way she kissed and licked at him was incredible but it was the teeth that pushed him over the edge. He stopped walking, looking around for a moment as he extended his senses before erecting a barrier. He smirked inwardly at the thought. The barrier wasn't the only thing erect. He was too, painfully so, and he shifted her body slightly against him in an attempt to find a more comfortable position and hopefully keep her from realizing just how much she had affected him. Of course it didn't quite work out that way. Instead of hiding the long, rock solid, throbbing erection he drew her attention to it. She felt the hard length pressing against her, trapped between her body and his own. Without thinking she ground her hips against him or more specifically it, biting back a moan at the feel of him rubbing her in just the right spot. He groaned aloud as she rocked her hips against him. He was absolutely dying to touch her, to have her touch him. He closed his eyes for a moment, envisioning the same scene, the same position, only with a great deal less clothing. "Ka…goh…me," he gasped against her.

"Hmmm?" she murmured into his neck before dragging her teeth down the length of his throat.

"You… I… uuhggh," he groaned again. "You have to… stop… moving." His hand was still on her ass and he pulled her closer to him in an attempt to still her, to keep her from continuing that incredible rocking of her hips.

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Sango had been thinking about how she could nudge the monk in the right direction without coming right out and telling him that she knew his secrets, that Kirara had told her everything. It was rather difficult but eventually she decided to do something Kagome had done many times with Inuyasha. She would talk to him in the hypothetical, not that she could remember the word, but she certainly remembered the concept.

"Miroku?"

"Yes my dearest Sango?" He shifted where he sat beside her so he could see her.

"If one of us were to die in a battle, would you wish you had never met them so that you could avoid the pain?"

"What? Sango, why are you…"

Sango interrupted him. "I was thinking, the way we live, always being attacked and fighting demons, don't you think we should make the most out of every day we have?"

He looked at her closely, rather confused as to what had caused her to be thinking about it at all. "Well, yes, I suppose you're right. We have no guarantee that we will make it through the next fight, that we will even see tomorrow every day."

"So then if there was something you wanted to do you should do it, right? If you want to say something you should say it."

"That is one way to look at it. If we hold back and do not do and say what we want or are feeling we may never get the chance."

"Exactly. And we know that we could die any day, so every day we all spend together is one more blessing, one more chance to live."

"Sango, why are you…"

"It's just, I was thinking about how I would feel if any of us died. It would hurt, but it would not hurt so much that I would wish we had never met to begin with. The time we spend together is worth the risk of pain later."

"Yes, I feel the same way."

"Really, Miroku? Are you saying and doing the things you want to or are you holding back?" She didn't give him a chance to respond as she rose, scooping Kirara up in her arms as she went, before walking away and sitting near the boys where they still practiced with Rin.

He was incredibly confused. She was right, absolutely right. Every day is a blessing and they should really live it. Maybe he was wrong in trying to shield her from the pain of his death. Maybe she would want to be with him, even if it was only for a short time. But the way she was talking, it was almost like she knew exactly what he was doing, like she knew his secret, but that wasn't possible. He had only spoken the words aloud to Kirara and he really doubted that she shared his secrets with Shippo or Sesshoumaru so there was no way it could have gotten to Sango. She had definitely given him something to think about. Was it really fair to either of them if he kept his secret to protect her from more loss? Especially when she had just said that their time together was worth the possibility of pain in the future. Perhaps he should give her the choice. Maybe he should confess his love and let her decide. The fear of rejection bounced around his mind. What if he told her and she didn't feel the same? Would it ruin what they had now? Would it make things uncomfortable for the group? Would she still be his friend or would she turn away from him completely? Maybe he hadn't just been shielding her after all. Maybe he was trying to shield himself too. Either way he had a lot of thinking to do.

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"Why?" she whispered into his ear before sucking the lobe into her mouth, biting down gently with her dull human teeth and tugging slightly. When he moaned aloud for her she repeated the action and received a similar and just as pleasing response.

"Kagome… oh you have to stop… that. There are some… things… I need to… talk to… mmmmmm… you about."

She pouted but pulled back from his neck to look at him. "Are you alright? You know how many times I called your name and you never even blinked? I had to get your attention somehow."

"And you did an excellent job, I must say." She giggled slightly and he smirked at her. "As much as I enjoyed it though, there are things we must discuss, things you do not yet understand."

"Alright. Is something wrong?"

"No Kagome, nothing is wrong. There are just some things about my nature I feel it necessary to explain." He moved with her still wrapped around him and gracefully lowered himself to the ground to lean against a tree trunk. She shifted slightly so her legs wouldn't be pinned between his back and the tree before looking into his eyes and waiting. Sesshoumaru let out a sigh, unsure of how to begin. "What do you understand about my blood beast?"

She thought for a moment before replying. "Well, I know that you can lose control to it and that a demon lost to its blood beast is dangerous. Except that yours isn't to me."

"It is very similar to there being two separate entities in my mind. The beast is more impulsive, more passionate, and more deadly, and I have trained long and hard to be able to keep him locked away so that I can maintain control. I suppose you could say that I am the more civilized half while he is driven by instinct and is much less rational." He looked at her, trying to determine if she understood. "In many demons it is the beast who chooses the mate, as it can very often identify their future mate by scent alone. From the first time I laid eyes on you he has been insisting that you were made for us. At first I tried to deny it but eventually I came to see that he was right."

"So it's like you have a split personality?" He nodded. "That must get confusing. So he talks to you in your head like I can?"

"Yes, but more and more often as of late he has been able to break down some of the barriers I have built to hold him back."

"Really? But why?"

"You, Kagome. He wants you, more than I can even begin to explain. Our inu instincts want for us to claim you, mark you, and mate you to ensure no one could ever take you from us again. And yesterday when you were bitten he managed to grasp full control. He desired so greatly to kill the one that injured you that he broke free of all the mental locks and chains that hold him. And he has yet to fully release control. It's like he's floating just under the surface, waiting to get out."

"So what happens if he does?"

"He would never hurt you, if that's what you are asking. Your presence soothes him and makes it so that I can keep control, but when you cut yourself, your blood, it was too much. Neither of us can stand to see you injured and neither of us can resist the taste of it. You cannot do that unless you wish to find yourself underneath me while I savor the delicious blood escaping you. I can only fight against him and my instincts so long before I will lose the battle and do as I did earlier. Part of me does not even desire to fight it."

"So that's why your eyes look like that? The swirling red and gold is the two of you struggling for control?" He nodded. "Tell me more about the inu instinct."

"Is there something specific you wish to know?"

"Not necessarily. I just want to understand you better and your instincts are a big part of who you are and how you act."

"Alright. Well, Inu are very pack oriented. Protecting and providing for the pack are the top priorities. We are very affectionate," he nuzzled his face into her hair, "which is why I can't keep my hands off of you. Kami Kagome, you smell so good."

"What do I smell like?" she asked while tilting her head to the side, causing him to growl his pleasure at her submission.

"You smell like strawberries and cream, laced with magic and power. It seems as if you have some inu instinct in you as well."

"What do you mean?"

"What you just did, tilting you head like that, baring your neck to me, it is a sign of submission, that you are accepting my dominance over you. It is also a sign of trust as by doing so you are exposing a very vulnerable part of your body to my fangs. I could tear your throat out in an instant but you trust that I will not. How did you know to do so?"

"I don't know," she said softly, enjoying the feel of his face buried in her hair and his hot breath on her skin. "It just happens. Submission eh? I wouldn't be so sure that I'm accepting your dominance over me. It just feels good. I know the male is supposed to be dominant over the female and all but it's not like that in my time. Women have the same rights as men, are equals. I really don't think I can be submissive."

"This Sesshoumaru admires your strength and independence. I would not require you to be submissive at all times, but there are times when it is necessary." He paused, waiting for her to protest but she remained silent. "Inu often sleep together in a group, like when the pups surround you at night. It is because of their desire to be near you and also to protect you. As their mother and the alpha you are the most important member of the pack. Each and every other pack member would give their life to protect you."

"So that's why you didn't mind Inuyasha sleeping next to me too?"

"Yes. He is my brother and our beta. Though his instincts are not as strong as a hanyou and were nearly nonexistent in his human form it is acceptable for him to be near you as well. As second in command it is his responsibility almost as much as it is mine to keep you safe and happy."

"So you won't get all jealous?"

"No. As long as certain boundaries are not crossed it will not bother me."

"Huh. Never expected that. I figured you would be all 'Hand's off my miko,' or something. I'm glad you won't be bothered by how close Inuyasha and I are. I really think it would hurt him if I kept my distance after all this time."

"Now that he accepts me as his brother once again there should be no issues."

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Finally he was ready. He had his temporary replacement as alpha to protect the pack. He had reliable and strong demons guarding the caves and killing any and all saimyosho that dared approach his den. He had chosen the honored few who would travel with him and his intended and assist in her mission. They had packed supplies for extended traveling and their good-byes had been said. Now they could set out to protect his Kagome and protect his claim on her as well. He would not be beaten by a dog, even if it was the western lord. Kagome was worth fighting for. He wasn't worried though. He was still convinced his sweet miko would never willingly mate the cold and vicious taiyoukai. Inuyasha would certainly make a much bigger stink about his brother's presence then he had ever protested Kouga's. Sure, the hanyou and he didn't get along but it was only because Inuyasha was possessive of her even though he didn't want her. Kouga couldn't stand Inuyasha because he was always putting her in danger and hurting her. He knew she thought she loved the hanyou but he would change her mind. She would love him, would be his mate, the alpha female of their pack, the mother to his pups. There was no other option in his mind.

"We're ready, Kouga," Ginta said as he moved to stand beside his friend and alpha.

"Yeah, everybody's here," Hakaku added.

Kouga looked around and saw his chosen group was fully assembled and the rest of the pack had gathered to see them off. "We will return and we will bring with us your princess and alpha female, my mate, the beautiful Shikon miko Kagome." The pack cheered and waved as they turned and began their journey. This time he would keep a pace that the others could maintain so they would arrive as a group. When she saw all the help and protection he had brought with him he was certain she couldn't turn him away. He walked proudly, shoulders squared, head held high as he led them. _'Soon Kagome. Soon you will be my mate, just like you were meant to be.'_

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"To inu, both scent and taste are very important. Your natural scent soothes my beast and myself. It calms and relaxes me, and does the same for the boys and Inuyasha as well. Being wrapped in your scent and your aura is like heaven itself to this Sesshoumaru. The taste of your skin, your lips, your mouth, they are all absolute perfection. Your blood is like water to a man dying of thirst, and the taste of your pleasure… that is the ambrosia of the Kamis themselves." He smirked as he watched the blush spread down her throat. "Everything about you, Kagome, calls to me. Your body begs for me to touch it, your lips beg for me to kiss them, and it is difficult to resist."

She shifted in his lap as her legs were beginning to get numb. As she moved she brushed up against his still painfully throbbing erection once more. He looked up into his eyes and raised a brow. "I can see, or rather feel, that. What's got you so worked up?"

His hand slid from where it had been resting on her hip, moving along her side to the back of her neck, his fingers wrapping in her hair. He pulled her closer to him until their lips were just barely touching. "Do you really have to ask?" His voice was deep and husky, filled with his need for her. He pulled her the last tiny bit and kissed her, starting slowly. As the kiss became more passionate and his tongue once more began the exploration of her sweet mouth he felt her shift her weight, moving the scorching heat between her legs to rub against his length. The friction caused her to let a moan out into their kiss and he began to make a definite purring sound. "Kagome… you're not ready for this."

"But it isn't fair. You did such wonderful things for me and you didn't get anything in return."

"I did not do it in hope of reciprocation. I did it because I desired to do so."

"But still…"

"No. I refuse to rush you. I know you are not ready and I promised you I would wait as long as it takes. This Sesshoumaru will survive."

"But…"

"Shhh." He silenced her with another kiss and she began to rock against him again. "Kagome…"

"Sesshoumaru… it feels good. Does it feel good to you too?"

"Unbelievably so," he managed to groan out against her lips.

"Then just feel," she whispered before drawing him back into a deep, passion filled kiss. As she rocked, grinding her pelvis against his painfully throbbing shaft she tore her lips away from his, throwing her head back to moan his name softly towards the sky. He took the opportunity to kiss down her jaw line to her throat, using his hand to pull the collar of her t-shirt to the side to nibble at her collar bone. "Oh Kami, Sesshoumaru," she groaned as her hands slipped into his long silver hair, never pausing in her rocking motion. She could feel it building, not quite as fast as yesterday morning but still the tension in her abdomen grew tighter and tighter and she listened as he moaned and panted into her shoulder, feeling his hot breath on her tingling skin.

His hand had slipped back down and he held firmly to her ass, holding her body tightly to his own as her heat rubbed so wonderfully against him. Just a few layers of fabric was all that kept him from the promised land. The pressure that had been building in him over the last few weeks, and even more so the last few days, was quickly becoming more than he could handle and he knew it wouldn't take much more. A grown demon, centuries old, with seven sons, the Lord of the Western Lands was finding himself incredibly close to coming in his pants while the love of his life basically dry humped him. And it was **exquisite**. It didn't matter to him that he was going to have a mess to clean up in a few minutes. It didn't bother him that he, who had copious experience in actual intercourse, was acting like a teenager in the back of a movie theater, or wherever teenagers experimented during the feudal era. All that mattered was that she was here, in his arm, taking her own pleasure from his body and giving him the same in return. The friction, the moist heat was more than enough and the scent of her arousal and the symphony of sounds she was making for his ears only added to his enjoyment.

He felt her body start to shake against him and her head fell into the crook of his neck once more. He was close but she was closer. She was almost there; ready to fall apart in his embrace and with just a few more tantalizing brushes against his rock hard staff she exploded. The feeling was just too intense for her to take and she couldn't help herself as she sunk her teeth into his pale flesh, and that was all it took to send him into ecstasy with her. Her teeth held tight as he growled deeply and his hips bucked, fully out of his control. He held her tightly, pressed motionless against him as pleasure flooded his body and his pants. She could feel his hardness twitch against her, causing her to gasp and squirm which only caused him to twitch more. Her gasp had released her hold on his throat and she panted against his slightly sweaty and flushed flesh, feeling him pant against her throat as well. Silence reigned for several minutes in the clearing; the only noises to be heard were their panting breaths. Nature around them didn't dare make a sound. No birds chirped, no insects buzzed. No breeze rustled the leaves in the trees. The world had frozen around them as the two focused only on each other. When the haziness that was left behind finally began to clear she lifted her head from his shoulder and he did the same, before staring into each other's eyes.


	50. Confessions of a Beast

**Chapter 50 – Confessions of a Beast**

Sango let out a frustrated sigh. 'Do you think he got it?'

'I believe you have definitely given him something to think about. He will figure it out soon enough, I'm sure of it.'

'I don't know how to thank you, Kirara, for everything. You've kept me company, fought at my side, protected me, and now you've helped me to understand the man I love. What would I do without you?'

'You will never have to find out. I will always be with you.'

A huge smile broke out on the slayer's face. 'I hope so. I was thinking I needed to get some more practice in. It's been a long time since we've been in a fight. Would you practice with me? I want to work on throwing and catching from the air.'

'Of course. I was getting rather bored anyway.' With a giggle and a meow the two set off for an open area before Kirara transformed and Sango climbed on. Within seconds they were in the air and the last slayer was practicing her trade once more.

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_'Master Inuyasha! I've found you! Finally!'_ the tiny flea thought silently. He wasn't about to announce his presence, at least not until he got a drink. It had been a long trip!

Inuyasha was sitting high in the branches of a tree overlooking the camp site, keeping an eye on the children as they practiced. He had heard the conversation between Sango and Miroku and he was nearly as confused as the monk. Sure, Kagome had told him that they had feelings for each other but he hadn't really seen it. The things Sango said made sense but what confused him was why she was telling Miroku that. And then there was her last question, the one he didn't get to answer. What in the hell did that mean? What did she think the monk was holding back? He flirted all the fucking time, not holding back any words there! And his hands were always wandering, not stopping himself from doing what he wanted! So what did she mean?

Shaking his head he tried to clear his mind. He didn't get it and he wasn't going to so why bother? He relaxed against the trunk of the tree, stretching out on the branch he had claimed as his own, having decided to take a nap. He was almost asleep when he felt a familiar tiny pinch. His hand went automatically to slap his neck, coming back with a rather flattened little flea. "Well if it isn't Myouga. Haven't seen you in a while. Where've you been hiding?"

"Oh, here and there. But there is a reason I've come, Master Inuyasha. Where is your lovely miko? I must speak with her."

"She ain't available at the moment. Can you feel that barrier over there?" he asked while pointing a clawed fingertip towards the shield his brother had erected, successfully blocking the mark. He had never felt the mark cut before and it took him a while to realize what happened. The tiny demon nodded. "Apparently they needed some privacy," Inuyasha said with a smirk.

Myouga's eyes widened. "Th… they? Who is with Lady Kagome?"

The hanyou chuckled at the little demon who had been his only companion for much of his life before he was sealed. "So you haven't heard? The ice lord ain't so cold afterall."

"Do you mean to say that Lord Sesshoumaru is with Lady Kagome behind the barrier?"

"That's what I'm sayin'."

"And you're okay with this?" He was shocked. Inuyasha wasn't waving his sword around and trying to bring down the barrier and get to Kagome. He didn't even seem upset that the miko was alone with his half-brother who he had hated and resented for years.

"I learned a few things last night. Somehow Kagome managed to show me Sesshoumaru's memories. Why didn't you tell me the truth? Before I met Kikyo I mean. Why didn't you tell me he watched over me? Or why he had sent us away when father died? I hated him for so long and it was all based on lies."

"You and your brother are getting along then?" He watched as the hanyou nodded, his furry ears flicking side to side as he scanned the area. "Lord Sesshoumaru didn't want me to tell you. He figured that the less you knew the better and he was willing to sacrifice his relationship with you to keep you safe. By the time he was ready to bring you home Kikyo had filled your mind with lies and you refused to listen."

"Yeah, I wish Kikyo hadn't lied to me. Kagome said it was probably because she was afraid I would leave her to go home with him but I would never have deserted her. She didn't need to say such horrible things."

"The past is the past Master Inuyasha. Her reasons no longer matter. What was said was said, why is irrelevant. Tell me, what is going on between Lord Sesshoumaru and Lady Kagome?"

"At this very second I'm not sure I would wanna know. He wants to make her his mate."

"So it is true then? Has Kagome said yes yet?"

"Hasn't asked her yet but she said she was pretty sure she felt the same way as he does. And my mother called him her Sakimitama in a vision-dream-kind of thing. Her mother just told her about the prophecy about Kagome and her mission."

"I am aware of the prophecy. So she returns his feelings? It really has happened. Misaki's dream has come true, just like she said it would." The little flea was mostly talking to himself as he stared off into the distance for a moment, remembering all she had told him and what he now had to do.

"Misaki?"

"Lord Sesshoumaru's mother. She had a dream; a priestess spoke to her and told her of her son's destiny. She told us all that he would fall in love with a beautiful human miko and though he would fight it he would eventually make her his mate. That among other things. I have a message for Lady Kagome. I must speak with her as soon as possible."

"You're gonna have to wait. She'll come back to camp soon enough. What's so important anyway?"

"It is a secret message from Misaki. I can tell only Kagome and it will then be her decision if she shares with the others." Inuyasha grunted his offense at being left out and Myouga jumped from the palm of the hanyou's hand in search of his next snack.

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It was already beginning to happen. He could feel it, even though the distance between them was great. His little girl was changing, growing stronger and slowly beginning the first stages of her transformation. Though it would not be complete for some time it was good to know that she was following the right path. Her Sakimitama was with her, helping her, changing her, and she had begun to rejoin the shards of the jewel with herself. She would be on her way to him soon enough. He couldn't wait to lay eyes on the beautiful woman he was sure that his little girl had grown into. _'She has to be beautiful,'_ he thought to himself. _'She looked so much like her mother the last time I saw her and if she has taken even the smallest bit after Hiromi as she changed from child to young lady she is certain to be gorgeous.'_ His heart swelled with pride that he had helped to create such a strong spirit, such a determined soul, one with such great power. His daughter would be the one to save the world.

Opening a box on the low table in front of him he lifted the object he had been protecting for her for all these years. Setting it carefully to the side he moved a small swatch of silk that the item had rested on to reveal an old, faded, and wrinkled photograph. His heart clenched as he looked at it once again, just as he had hundreds of times before. There in the photo was the family he left behind. Hiromi stood with her father on one side and himself on the other, his beautiful little Kagome, only seven years old stood in front of them, and his tiny son, just a few weeks old, was held carefully in his arms. This was the only thing he had brought with him from the future. He probably shouldn't have even brought it but he couldn't leave without something to hold close to his heart on the loneliest nights. That's why the photo was kept just as hidden as the item he held for Kagome. If anyone were to find the photo they would begin to suspect that he was not quite as he appeared, and he could not risk it. He played his part well and no one questioned it. That would most likely change, however, when an entourage of demons with purifying powers, a monk and a demon slayer, and two mikos arrived. He fought to keep the smile from his face but lost. He had felt her powers awaken earlier today. The little girl had ended up just where she was meant to. He wondered if anyone suspected yet who little Rin really was.

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Kagura was returning to her master, though grudgingly. She had felt the tugging of his call and had been trying to ignore it but the longer she did the more it hurt. If he kept it up she was sure to die so she gave up her position guarding the west and headed south. It would be alright though. She had watched as the army presence and palace guards had doubled shortly after the little toad that followed Sesshoumaru had been at the Palace Moon. She was certain that they could and would effectively take care of any saimyosho so she wasn't really needed there anymore. She hoped against hope that he hadn't discovered her treachery. If even one poison insect spy had escaped her and reported back she was done for. She really didn't want to die.

She hoped that Kohaku had managed okay on his own. The boy was most likely her only chance for the miko and her group to believe her when she attempted to help them. Without him to convince his sister they would always be suspicious. And the boy had suffered enough. A short time after he had regained his memory and had confided in her he had told her all he remembered, everything he had been forced to do under Naraku's control. He had killed his people, his family, his father. He had even tried to kill his sister, and not just the once. He had kidnapped Rin, the little girl who traveled with the demon lord, and even thought he had tried to kill Kagome, she protected his life when Sesshoumaru had intended to kill him. Kohaku had been through so much, so much more than anyone deserved. Kagura suddenly realized that she wanted to free him from Naraku even more than she wished to free herself. She had only ever cared about Kanna and to discover how strongly she felt for the human boy only added to her determination. She would save him, she would save herself, she would help the miko and the western lord defeat her master. No matter how hard it was she would find a way.

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"Well that was… different," Kagome said with a grin. She leaned back in Sesshoumaru's lap until her hands landed on the ground behind her and her arms held her up. Her back was arched, her shirt riding up to bare her midriff to the demon lord who was gazing at her rather heatedly, the angle she had placed herself in not only pressing her tightly into him once more but also causing her breasts to stand out while her softly muscled stomach dipped in. She arched more as she stretched, letting out a moan at the feel of her tight muscles pulling and then relaxing.

"Do you realize how incredible tempting you are right now?" he said in the same deep and erotic voice that he had used earlier.

She tilted her head back all the way, showing off the milky white length of her delicate neck, the tips of her midnight black hair brushing the ground beneath her. When she tilted her head back up she smirked at him. His eyes were more red than gold now and his breath was once more coming out in pants. "Really? I had no idea." The playful tone in her voice and the glint in her eye were teasing him, almost as much as the way she looked.

In what seemed like less than a second she was laying fully on her back with a demon lord licking and nibbling at her stomach while kneeling between her legs. "This Sesshoumaru suspects you are lying to me. Do you enjoy teasing me, Kagome?"

She buried her fingers in his hair as she spoke. "Perhaps. This Kagome rather enjoys that desperate look in your eyes." She was teasing him once more as she did her best monotone impression of the taiyoukai himself.

He pushed her shirt up over her breasts but was rather disappointed to find them further hidden by an interesting bit of fabric. He had to admit that it was incredibly sexy the way the red lace made them look like a carefully wrapped gift that he was looking forward to opening, if only he could figure out how! He growled at the offending bit of lingerie as he inspected it. Giving up he leaned down and began kissing every inch of breast that wasn't covered before lifting the fabric binding up over the luscious and tantalizing mounds he so wished to see and taste.

She giggled at his reaction to her bra but the sound transformed into a throaty moan as he sucked a nipple into his mouth. "Sessh…ohhh. Sesshou…maru," she gasped out. He looked up into her eyes but did not cease suckling the nipple that had nearly eluded him. "If… if you move… for a second… I'll… I'll take it off." He growled at her, the vibration sending shivers through her body, before he released the now very erect peak, only to slide his tongue across it several more times. When he finally pulled back he watched with thinly veiled interest as she lifted herself and reached around her back with both arms. In a few seconds the red lacy thing loosened. His attention was definitely held tight as she lifted her shirt over her head and slid the straps off her shoulders to fully remove the bra as well. He smirked as she lay back down, pulling at his hair as she did to bring him with her.

"Absolutely beautiful," he murmured while kissing between her breasts before dragging his tongue around one peak in a spiral, getting closer and closer before he pulled the dusky pink tip into his mouth once more. He made sure to pay each perfect mounds equal attention. Couldn't have one getting jealous of the other after all.

Kagome closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment before moving her right hand to her abdomen, pulling it from the left to the right and leaving four shallow cuts behind. He was instantly on them, lapping at the slowly bleeding wounds while looking into her eyes. She watched with interest as the red bled more and more into his usually golden orbs. He knew she had done it on purpose. While he wasn't sure why, he knew she was testing his control, trying to draw out the beast. Her stomach tingled as she felt the wounds closing under his careful attentions. When he lifted his head, having captured every drop, she put a hand on each of his cheeks and pulled him into a breathtaking kiss. When her eyes opened again she saw nothing but red.

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He'd had enough. He could just barely muster a glow and it was beginning to get frustrating. Shinji let out a sigh before rising to his feet. "I'm gonna go train for a while. I'm getting a headache."

"Oh, can we come with you? We're bored. This is too hard," Yuudai said for both himself and his twin.

"Why don't we all go? We could use a break and we've been sitting still for so long that my legs and going numb." The others all nodded their agreement with Yoshi's statement.

"Rin, why don't you bring Kazue and join us? I'm gonna practice my fox magic. I can show you some of my tricks!" The little girl's eyes lit up and she smiled brightly at her newest brother, Shippo.

"That sounds like fun! Okay!" Rin jumped to her feet and skipped over to where Kazue lay and scooped the tiny puppy up.

Inuyasha dropped from his tree, having given up on a nap after his conversation with the flea. He was actually rather interested in the training the boys were doing. He had never been trained really, since his father died when he was still young. Of course, they were young too but that was just like Sesshoumaru. He had started their training early so they could better defend themselves. If only his father had done the same then maybe he and his mother could have stayed with his brother. He walked after the children and sat between the groups, the pups gathered in one area to his right and Rin, Shippo and Kazue to his left. He was rather impressed. They were good; fast and smooth, each movement making its full impact, no motion wasted. He began to wonder if Sesshoumaru trained them himself or if servants did it. If he did, then maybe he would be willing to work with him as well. Sure, he fought well enough. He managed to kill the bad guy alright but he when he saw Sesshoumaru fight it looked elegant, like a bloody dance. He was certain that there were quite a few things for him to learn. He had rarely seen his brother break a sweat, let alone show any signs of exhaustion, meanwhile there were times where he was certain he was going to pass out if he didn't kill the enemy immediately. Plus, now that he had access to his full demon powers he wondered if he would be able to do some of the things that he had always been jealous of like the cloud and the whip. Would he have poison? Now he was really intrigued. He had two new things to practice with, his full demon power and the miko powers from Kagome.

Kazue lay still beside the little girl as she thought. The similarities between Kagome and Rin had been baffling before but to discover that the little girl also held miko powers was just too much to be brushed off as coincidence. There was definitely some connection and she was sure it would come out in the future. All she had to do was sit back and wait.

Shippo was having the time of his life. He loved practicing his tricks and Kagome always humored him and watched no matter how many times she had seen them but her enthusiasm wasn't what it was the first time she saw each trick. But Rin, she was clapping and squealing and watching with absolute awe which definitely made the little fox happy. He practiced transforming into a little pony, a bird, his big pink balloon form, and her absolute favorite, Kagome. He still had the tail but otherwise it was flawless and Rin cheered, drawing the attention of the pups who looked at him rather oddly. They couldn't see the tail from where they were standing so they didn't realize that it was Shippo. They could see her but the mark was still blocked. Very confusing.

Hisoka moved closer, his little nose twitching. "Mama?" he asked slowly. No, he was sure that wasn't his Mama. As he breathed in a little deeper it hit him. "Shippo?" The others looked at him incredulously. Shippo merely turned to the side and wiggled his tail before popping back into his normal form.

"Wow! That was really good! Who else can you do?" Hitoshi asked.

Shippo furrowed his little brow for a moment before concentrating and touching a leaf to his forehead. In a puff of smoke he transformed once more, and as the smoke cleared they were all in awe. There stood their father, at his full imposing height and looking just as perfect and deadly as ever, well all except the tail.

"That's amazing Shippo! That could really come in handy," Yoshi said.

Shippo popped back to normal. "Really? How?"

"Well, during a fight you could distract an attacker while someone else got Mama to safety," Shin explained.

"Or to set a trap for a demon," Hitoshi added.

"Or if you ever end up alone…"

"… and you sense someone coming…"

"…you could transform into father…"

"…and they would be sure to leave you alone!" Yuudai and Isamu cried out in their excitement, taking turns as they so often did.

"I never thought of that. I only used it to tease Inuyasha."

"Watch it, runt," Inuyasha threatened from where he sat. The boys were right. That trick could be put to their advantage if planned right. He would have to make sure to have Shippo show Sesshoumaru what he could do.

Shippo merely blew a raspberry at the hanyou who glowered at him in response. Then the fox went on to show off his fox fire, his weeping mushrooms, his acorns that pelted and nearly buried their target, and his smashing top. He saved his favorite for last as he produced a group of Shippo clones that hopped around the very surprised boys.

"I wish we could use magic!" Yuudai whined.

"It looks so fun!" Isamu whined along with him.

"Kitsune are very good at their tricks because they are generally small and cannot fight against large demons. Their tricks are their attacks so that they can distract attackers and escape. We do not need magic, even though it is very impressive, as we will grow tall and strong like father." Akihiro loved it when he could use some of the knowledge he had amassed in all his hours and hours of reading.

"Yeah, I wish I could learn to fight like you guys do," Shippo admitted. "The tricks are fun but they really don't do much good to protect Mama."

"Maybe father will allow you to train with us. I'm sure he could teach you a lot of things," Hisoka quietly suggested.

"You really think so?" Shippo asked with excitement. He watched as the other boys all nodded their agreement. "That would be awesome!"

No one heard as Inuyasha chuckled quietly. Sure, the runt was annoying but it was good to see him happy and with friends. He knew what it was like to be an orphan which was why he let Kagome bring the kit along in the first place. But Shippo got lucky. He got a new mother and father, brothers, and a sister. The kit would never be lonely again. He smiled then. He would never be alone again either. Kagome had made sure of that. He owed her so much. She had given him friends and a new pack, she accepted him completely just as he is, she had given him back his brother, and in doing so gave him a mess of nephews. She had changed his entire life for the better and he loved her for it. Thank Kami his brother didn't intend to whisk her away from him. He wasn't sure he could survive without her.

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"I knew I was right," he said softly, his voice a bit darker and more gravelly. "I knew you were it." He licked her cheek slowly and then repeated on the other side. "So perfect. Made for us." He watched as Kagome smiled at him. "He's afraid. He's afraid to ask you, afraid you might say no."

Sesshoumaru was locked inside as his beast spoke to her. _'What is wrong with you? Do you want her to see us as weak?_' The beast ignored him completely.

"Ashamed he didn't protect you. Thinks he doesn't deserve you."

'_You are ruining any chance for her to be our mate! If she sees us as weak, as a poor protector she will choose another!'_

"Terrified of his life without you."

'_This Sesshoumaru orders you to stop this! Release your hold on control!'_

"But you wouldn't say no, would you?"

'Calm yourself and listen!' the beast yelled back inside their head. 'Listen to her!'

Kagome was surprised to hear the beast's words. Sesshoumaru was afraid? It wasn't his fault she got hurt. He shouldn't be blaming himself! "I'm the one that doesn't deserve him or you. What happened was meant to happen so I could be told about the shards. It doesn't mean he didn't protect me. Being here with you, it's the safest place in the world. He doesn't need to be afraid."

Inside their head Sesshoumaru fell silent.

'See? She will not tell us no. She believes she is not good enough for us! You must convince her she is deserving of our love.'

The demon lord's blood beast rested his head carefully between her breasts, kissing lightly at any and all skin he could reach. She ran her hands through his hair as he purred against her. In his opinion he had been cruelly denied time with her. He spent just minutes with her after the incident with the wolf and even less when trying to save her life. All he really wanted was to bask in her presence the way Sesshoumaru did. And so he lay still as she caressed him, growling softly and breathing her in. She was so perfect. Everything they could ever want or need. After a few minutes the beast finally relaxed fully and fell back into their mind, allowing Sesshoumaru to regain control once more. He wasn't sure what to say to her. His beast had revealed his innermost secret fears and yet she had not turned away from him. "Kagome," he whispered.

"Hmm?" she murmured, absolutely content to stay where she was forever.

"You are more than deserving of this Sesshoumaru." He looked up into her eyes, allowing her to see the gold once more. "No one else would ever do. You are the only one I want, the only one I need." She smiled down at him as he nuzzled his nose into the side of her breast. "Absolute perfection."

She sighed softly. While it was wonderful to hear she still wasn't sure. She was just a human miko, nothing special. Rather plain looking even. And he was gorgeous, like a statue of a Greek god carved from marble. How could she possibly deserve such masculine beauty? Such strength and power? Such devotion? She didn't. She was sure of it.

He could tell what she was thinking just by watching her face. Her eyes betrayed what she tried to hide, and the mark didn't help much either. "Kagome, do not question yourself. There is no one on this earth that was made for me like you are. I will never want another. Inu mate for life. I mate for eternity." He crawled slowly up her body until he could kiss her softly. "My very soul belongs to you." She nodded slowly and they stayed that way, nose to nose, lips to lips as he held most of his weight off her body with his one arm. After several more tender kisses he pulled away and rose, pulling her along with him. "I am in need of a bath. Would you care to join me?" Looking up she could see the smile dancing in his eyes.

"I suppose you are. And some new pants too. Sure, why not. Let me go back to camp and get my things and I'll bring you some clean clothes too."

"You cannot return alone. You do not even have your bow."

"And you can walk into camp with me like you are now?" She watched as realization dawned in his eyes. His brother would never let him hear the end of it.

"I will take you close and wait for you."

"I suppose that'll work." He watched as she redressed, very interested in how she secured the strange but sexy breast binding. He was determined to figure it out. He would master that bit of fabric, not matter how many times he had to take it off her to learn. Once she had thrown her shirt on they turned and started back towards camp and their pack.


	51. A Surprise For Mama

**Chapter 51 – A Surprise for Mama**

They walked together until they were close enough to camp that she could find it without any trouble and he scanned the area carefully to ensure there was nothing sneaking around that might attack her. He also made sure that he stayed far enough away and that the wind was heading away from camp, carrying his scent away from them rather than towards. Sure, it was a lot of trouble but it was worth it. _'Just great. Now I sound like the monk!'_

'This Sesshoumaru believes the monk has the right idea. Even if she smacked you every time you touched her, wouldn't that few seconds of contact be worth it?'

_'You have a point. But __**this**__ Sesshoumaru is still rather angry at you. Even though she did not turn away she did not need to know my weaknesses.'_

'That is what mates are for. She will never turn away from us. She will not judge us. If she is not the one to share with then who is?'

_'I am beginning to get rather tired of you always being right.'_

'I guess it's a good thing I'm here then. When are you going to ask her?'

_'I intend to ask her mother and grandfather for their permission first. I will only be doing this once and I intend to do it right. She deserves nothing less.'_

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As Kagome walked into camp she was surprised to find it nearly empty. The only ones who remained were Jaken, Ah Un, and Miroku. "Where is everyone?" Kagome asked as she dug through her things for clean clothes and her bathing supplies.

Miroku looked up from where he had been sitting, staring at his hands as he thought. "The children are in the field training. I believe Inuyasha followed them. I don't know where Sango and Kirara went. Kagome? Can I talk to you?"

"Is it going to take long or is it a quick question?"

"I'm not sure. I am terribly confused. Sango said the strangest things to me earlier and I'm not sure what to make of it."

"I'm going for a bath before it gets dark but we can take a walk or something when I get back. Is that okay?"

Miroku looked slightly disappointed but nodded his head. "Thank you Lady Kagome. I very much appreciate your help."

Jaken had been watching the miko since she entered the clearing without his lord. When she walked over to the supplies that Lord Sesshoumaru and the children brought he had to know. "Lady Kagome? Where is my Lord Sesshoumaru?"

Kagome turned and smirked at him. "Your Lord Sesshoumaru is near. Hey, would ya help me out here for a second?" The little toad nodded. He wanted to make her tell him but he remembered what the demon lord had said. She was to be treated with the same respect as he showed to the taiyoukai himself, and Lord Sesshoumaru would never stand for an interrogation. She leaned down closer before whispering so the monk wouldn't get any ideas. If she had known how lost in his own thoughts he was she wouldn't have bothered. "I need a clean set of clothes for Sesshoumaru." She giggled as his yellow eyes widened in shock. "Oh, calm down. I'm gonna wash his hair for him. You know that's hard for him to do. Do you really want him to put dirty clothes back on after his bath?" Jaken snapped back to reality and shook his head rapidly. "Good. Then get me new clothes." The little green demon toddled his way over to the various bags and within seconds had produced another identical outfit. "Is this all he ever wears?"

"This is what my Lord wears when outside the palace. It bears the traditional patterns of the Western Lord."

"So that's why the boys all have the same pattern but in different colors?" He nodded. "Thanks Jaken. Gotta run!"

He watched as she dashed out of the clearing, not necessarily towards the spring but exactly where she had entered from. She had carried the strangest scent. Being a toad his sense of smell was nowhere near as well developed as an inu but he had noticed it nonetheless. She was covered in his lord's scent but there was an odd touch to it, and hers was much stronger than usual. Shaking his head once again he muttered to himself, "This Jaken doesn't want to know."

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He smirked as she came towards him full tilt. "In a hurry are we Kagome?"

She slid to a stop, panting and causing her chest to heave beautifully. "Jaken was making the strangest faces at me. He was rather suspicious as to why I needed new clothes for you. Told him I was gonna wash your hair."

He took in a deep pull of her scent. "He most likely noticed the scent you carry." She lifted an eyebrow at him. "You are covered in my scent and the scent of our earlier activities. It suits you well."

"Oh I bet. Of course you would like it when I smell like you and sex!" He merely smirked wider. "Quit it and come on. It's gonna be getting dark soon and I would like to have dinner with the kids once I wash this scent off me." She began to walk and he reached out, taking hold of her elbow and changing her direction before walking alongside her.

"Do you not wish to carry the scent of this Sesshoumaru?" There was an odd pain in his chest at the thought of her washing his scent away.

"That's not it. I just don't need everyone looking at me and wondering what we did, especially the children!"

"They would not be able to identify the scent if they detected it. They have never encountered the scent of arousal and…" he paused for emphasis, "…intimate activities. But the fire cat, Kazue, Ah Un, and my little brother would know."

"That's reason enough for me."

"And are you going to insist on bathing after every encounter?" He sounded rather upset and she stopped and turned him to look into his eyes.

"Are you alright? You sound funny."

"Do you wish to hide our time together from the hanyou?"

"For the moment. I just don't want to deal with it. You saw how he reacted when you kissed me. I really don't want to see what he would say if he thought we had sex!"

"You are the one who initiated."

"Yeah, and you're the one who loved it. No, I'm not embarrassed by what we did. No, I don't want to hide our time together. I'm just not ready for outside commentary." She noticed that he refused to meet her eyes, so she reached out and cupped his cheek, turning him to look at her. "What are you thinking? Sesshoumaru, tell me. Why does this bother you so much?"

"If you were to become my mate my scent would be impossible to wash away. It is a part of the bond that is formed. Our scents would be permanently mixed."

"Alllriiighhht. I don't get what that has to do with you being upset that I want a bath? You're the one that asked me to come along."

He looked down into her eyes, seeing her genuine concern. He wasn't sure why he was suddenly feeling so insecure but her words had touched a nerve. He wrapped his arm around her back and pulled her close. "It is not the bath that bothers me. This Sesshoumaru is unsure as to why, but your desire to wash away the scent of our combined passion… it…" He was not used to being at a loss for words but he was. He had no idea how to finish his statement.

"I carry your scent with pride, just as I bear your mark. I'm just not used to this whole thing. Before the spring I'd never been touched like that. I… I'm not embarrassed… I'm not trying to hide it… I… I guess I'm just not ready for everyone to know."

He nodded slowly. "I suppose I can understand your modesty. Come, I would like to get in the spring. I am rather uncomfortable."

He watched as a smile slowly spread across her face. "I'm not surprised." He released her waist and they began to walk once more. "I probably shouldn't have done that to you. I'm sorry."

"Do not be sorry Kagome. It was well worth the minor discomfort, though I do not wish for you to feel pressured to reciprocate my attentions. We will move at your pace."

"I appreciate that but doesn't it get frustrating? I mean, you've been with women, at least three different ones that I know of, though I'm sure there are many more. And you're expected to wait for me? Until I'm ready? I just… I don't know."

"The demonesses who carried my sons were the last to grace my bed and that was strictly for heirs. Yes, there have been others but never did any of them mean anything more than a release. You are the first I have ever desired to kiss. You are the first to receive my intimate attentions in such a way, the first I ever desired to taste, and you will be the last."

Her eyes widened. "The first you ever… you know?"

"Yes, the first and only."

"Well damn! You did an excellent job for a beginner then!" She giggled slightly as he allowed a few chuckles to escape him.

"I am pleased to have brought you pleasure in such a way. And I will always be willing to give a repeat performance. All you need to do is ask."

She glared at him playfully. "You're a bad influence, you know that?"

"This Sesshoumaru is honored to be the one to corrupt such a pure priestess as yourself."

"Uh huh. And I have this sneaking suspicion that you will be honored to be the one to ensure I'm no longer pure, right?"

"When the time is right, Kagome, I will definitely be so honored," he murmured in his deep sexy voice with his lips against her ear.

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The boys had returned to their training after their short chat with Shippo. It had been quite a while now and they were getting tired and hungry. It was when Yoshi had heard a stomach growl for the tenth time in the last two minutes that he finally decided it was time to call it quits for the day. "Okay guys, I think we should head back to camp. We're all hungry and tired."

"Yoshi? I have an idea," Hisoka said rather softly.

"What is it?"

"Well, Mama really seemed to like it when we and father returned with meat. Do you think maybe we could go on a quick hunt and get some for her? I bet she'd be surprised."

"It would be a nice surprise but I doubt father would approve of us hunting on our own. We were told to train or practice, in camp or here," Shin reminded them.

"I'll take ya, runts," Inuyasha spoke up from behind them. They had basically forgotten he was there at all. "Even humans need to eat meat now and then and Kagome always likes it when I hunt. We'll go and get something big enough for everyone."

They all nodded their excitement. Their uncle actually wanted to do something with them! They weren't sure what had caused the change but they welcomed it nonetheless. "We should take Rin back to camp first," Hitoshi mentioned. With another round of nods, Rin was carrying Kazue as they all walked back to camp. Inuyasha spoke with Miroku for a minute, letting him know where they were going and to keep an eye on Rin, and then they were off.

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It was then that they finally reached the spring. He scanned the area before erecting a barrier once more. Kagome set her clean clothes and his as well on a rock a bit away from the water, while placing her bathing products and towels on the edge. When she turned to look at him once more he was still standing right where she had left him, merely watching her. She walked towards him slowly, swinging her hips a bit more than usual, immediately drawing his full attention. He watched intently as she carefully pulled mokomoko from his shoulder and set it on a nearby rock. Then she loosened his sash and slid his haori from his shoulders. Once she had his chest exposed she took the time to trace the muscles of his torso. It was like he was carved, each muscle perfectly defined on his pale skin. He was her marble god as he stood perfectly still so as to not discourage her explorations. When she had outlined each muscle of his chest and abdomen, she lifted herself up on her toes to place a soft kiss on his lips before turning and walking away. He watched as she pulled her shirt over her head and as she loosened the skirt she was wearing so that it dropped to the ground around her feet. She stepped out of it before bending at the waist, quite a bit more than necessary, to pick it up. She took her time rising too so he had a lovely view of her soft curvy ass as it peeked out of her red lace panties that matched the enticing breast binding she wore. She tossed the two garments to the side and he watched her arms slip behind her back.

"Kagome," he said slowly, catching her attention. "Stop." She pouted at him, hurt that he wasn't enjoying her striptease. "Let me," was all he said as he stalked closer to her. "This Sesshoumaru desires to learn how to remove this… item."

She giggled for a moment. "It's called a bra." She turned her back to him and reached around once more. "Look close and watch when I do it. There are little clips." He watched as her fingers moved, expertly opening the small clasp.

"Close it again." She let out a little sigh but did as he asked. He placed his hand lightly on her hip before sliding it up her side. It moved slowly, leaving goose bumps and shivers behind, stopping only when he reached the challenging little clips that separated him from his treasures. He slipped his fingers under the place where the two ends joined and gave it a shot. He found it much harder than it looked, but then she had used two hands and he didn't have that option.

She felt his struggling and sensed his growing frustration. "Hang on. I can do it with one hand. Let me show you. I should have shown you that way to begin with." He moved his hand lower on her back and watched as she manipulated the fabric for a moment, careful to watch every movement so he could repeat it. Once she had it opened she slipped her other hand back to close it once more.

He was going to get it this time. He would have just cut the thing but he figured she wouldn't appreciate it. Add to that the fact that he definitely wanted to see her in it again and he was determined to master the 'bra'. It took a minute as he tried to arrange his fingers just as she had, all the while taking extra care to not injure her perfect skin with the deadly weapons that tipped them. After only two failed attempts he did it and he was quite pleased with himself. "Turn around," he whispered in her ear. She turned towards him and he slid the straps from her shoulders as he had seen her do earlier, uncovering her deliciously beautiful breasts achingly slowly. He kissed at her jaw line before moving down her throat to her collar bone. He bent lower as he trailed kisses across the top of her chest until he reached his mark. He paid extra attention to where she was marked as a member of his pack before kissing down between her breasts. Her head rolled back and she let out a sigh as he dropped to his knees and proceeded to peel her panties down her long legs, breathing in deeply as her scent hit him unhindered. He buried his nose in her curls while kissing her inner thigh.

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Rin had decided to color while she still could as the sun was slowly beginning to fall below the horizon. Kazue stayed at her side, watching over the little girl closely.

Sango had decided she had had enough practice for the day and called for Kirara to head back. They landed just outside of camp and as soon and Sango slid off her back Kirara transformed into her smaller self and looked to where Kazue lay, letting out a meow. The black puppy popped up and hopped through the grass to her friend. The two then proceeded together, walking over to where Ah and Un lay. The dragon lifted its two heads, eager to gossip with his new companions.

Sango looked around camp as she leaned her boomerang against a convenient tree. "Where is everyone? Miroku?"

It took the monk a moment to register that she had spoken to him and when he did he was surprised. He hadn't even noticed her return. "Oh, Kagome is taking a bath and Sesshoumaru hasn't come back yet. Come to think of it, Kagome left with new clothes for him."

Sango watched as the hentai gears turned in his head and decided to stop it before he got himself in trouble. "Okay, and everyone else?"

"What? Huh?" He looked back up at her in confusion. He had been so busy imagining what Kagome would have needed clean clothes for Sesshoumaru for when it was her taking the bath that he hadn't heard her.

Sango sighed before repeating herself. "I asked where everyone else is."

"Inuyasha took the boys hunting. They wanted to surprise Kagome. They just left a few minutes ago after dropping of Rin."

"So then no instant noodles tonight?" Sango asked with hope in her voice. Sure, the noodles were good and they came in handy but real food was always better.

"Not if they're successful and I don't see why they wouldn't be."

Sango nodded before an idea popped into her head. She turned to look at the little girl who was deeply involved in her coloring. "Hey Rin, would you like to help me?"

Rin looked up before jumping to her feet. "Yes, yes, Rin wants to help!" she cried out in her eager little voice.

"I saw some berry bushes not too far away and they're nice and ripe. I think they would make a great dessert and you can have a surprise for Kagome too then." She smiled down at the little girl who looked so excited she could burst.

"Rin loves berries! Lord Sesshoumaru always lets me eat as many as Rin wants, but one time Rin ate too many and then Rin had a tummy ache and Jaken had to watch Rin and Jaken wasn't nice and said it was Rin's fault!"

"Well, we'll make sure we get enough for everyone to have some and we can even eat a few while we pick them." Sango grabbed two of Kagome's cooking pots, one for her and one for Rin before they left the clearing. It took the two a minute to notice, as they were focused on their conversation about the odd smell Kagome carried when she returned and what it could mean. Once they did, however, it took Kirara and Kazue only a few seconds to catch up to the two who were already immersed in their berry picking.

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"Sesshoumaru," she said nearly inaudibly. "If you keep this up we'll never get in the spring."

"So?" he murmured into the perfectly shaped triangle of soft black curls, his breath brushing across her just so, causing her knees to buckle. He caught her as her legs gave out and stood before he carried her into the wonderful naturally heated water. He didn't bother to remove his pants first since they needed a rinse as well. She watched as he lowered her onto the underwater ledge before moving out into the deeper water. He slipped under, wetting his hair. He was under for much longer than she expected and she was just about to dive under and check on him when he broke the surface. He lifted his arm out of the water and tossed a ball of wet silk at a branch. She was amazed as his pants hit the branch perfectly, leaving them hanging nearly as neatly as if she had done it by hand.

"Good aim." She smirked at him before motioning him over. It was quiet in the clearing then as she slowly washed his hair, followed by his back, chest, and arm. She left the lower half for him to take care of and dunked herself under the water, making sure to keep her eyes closed. When she reached for the shampoo he stopped her, pulling her in front of him. Even with only one hand it was heavenly as the demon lord washed her hair. He massaged her scalp expertly with his claws, all without drawing a drop of blood. He insisted on doing the conditioner too, and just as she had expected, he decided to wash her body for her. "You know I can wash myself," she said softly, enjoying his hands sliding over her body.

"This is another inu instinct. We show our affections by grooming each other."

"I bet this isn't a pack activity though, right?"

"Well, parents often bathe with their pups. You bathed with Inuyasha and myself."

"Yeah but that was because he was wounded. I didn't figure you would want that happening again."

"There is no harm in you helping him bathe as long as I or the children are present as well. And of course only I would get the pleasure of washing you. You and the slayer bathe together, do you not?"

"Well, yeah but that's different. We don't wash each other or anything like that. We use the privacy to talk, and we usually go together for safety. It's gonna take me a while to get used to the instinct thing. I was really expecting you to be territorial and jealous and tell him to keep his hands to himself and keep his distance."

"Is it not the same with humans?"

"You mean would a couple bathe with the guy's brother too? No. Unless there was something kinky going on there it would never happen. I guess it's the pack mentality that I'll need to adjust to."

"Kinky? Would you care to define that for this Sesshoumaru?" He watched as she blushed and shook her head. He merely smirked before continuing. She didn't have to tell him now. He would find out eventually. "The pack does most things together, eat together, bathe together, and sleep together. But of course this Sesshoumaru will be sure to find time for privacy as well." She watched him grin rather evilly at the idea when something hit her.

"Sesshoumaru? Earlier you said 'If you were to become my mate'. What happened to 'I fully intend to make your mother my mate'?"

"You did not seem to appreciate the assumption. I have not yet asked and you have not agreed."

"It wasn't the assumption really; it was just embarrassing with everyone looking at us like that. They all had these grins on their faces. It was just weird. Sesshoumaru? Was it true? What he said, that you're afraid to ask? Do you blame yourself for what happened?"

"This Sesshoumaru failed to protect you. I failed you and you died. A mate is supposed to be a strong protector and a good provider and I have yet to prove myself to you. And there are a few things that must be done before I can ask."

"You don't have anything to prove to me and you don't need to be afraid of your life without me. I already promised you would never be alone again."

He pulled her to him and kissed her softly. "I forget sometimes that I can tell you anything. Apparently he does not." They shared a few more tender kisses as they cuddled together on the ledge. As the sun started to set, however, he released her and lifted her from the water, thoroughly enjoying the view from below. She wrapped a towel around herself and turned away as she towel dried her hair. With a smirk at her shyness he pulled himself from the water and wrapped a towel around his waist before moving close and turning her towards him. She smiled as she took in the view of the water droplets sliding across his muscles, rolling downward in the dips that made them so defined. The moisture stopped at the edge of the towel as it hung low on his hips. He looked absolutely godly and she had the oddest desire to drop to her knees right then and there at his feet.

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It hadn't taken long for the boys and Inuyasha to have taken down a pair of boars. They worked together to skin and clean the animals until they had nice slabs of meat. They returned to camp to find that Rin had gone off with Sango, Miroku having told them about the berries. With a smirk Inuyasha turned to the boys. "You wanna make Kagome even more surprised?" They all nodded. "Find some nice straight stick like you would roast fish on and bring them here." Within seconds they were off, spreading out along the edges of the clearing they camped in. Inuyasha set to work cutting the meat into cubes as he had seen Kagome do in the past. Of course she used a knife, but his claws worked just as well. By the time he had a large pot full of bite size boar chunks the boys were returning with handfuls of makeshift skewers. He showed them how to arrange the meat on the sticks and they all chipped in. It wasn't long before the area was filled with the delicious scent of roasting meat. Sure, they like it better raw, but their uncle had told them that it was tasty this way as well and that this was Kagome's favorite campfire food.

Sango was surprised as they reentered camp and saw dinner cooking. She looked around but Kagome was nowhere to be found. Instead she found a rather smug looking Inuyasha and a still dazed and distracted monk. "Sango, will you keep an eye on this for us? We need to go wash our hands." She looked at him in shock. He was going to wash his hands? And he prepared dinner? Hell had officially frozen over and she was certain she saw a pig fly by in the distance. Inuyasha was actually chipping in and being helpful? And on top of that being nice to Sesshoumaru's sons as well? Not sure what to say Sango nodded weakly. "Gimme the berries. You know Kagome says we should was them off before we eat them. We can do it since were going to the stream anyway." She held out the pot and Rin did the same before she moved to sit near the flames to watch the meat.

"I think I've lost my mind," she murmured quietly to herself. "Thought I would never see the day."

"Master Inuyasha has made amends with his brother, Lady Sango. I believe he is making up for lost time with the pups."

Sango looked around for the voice, but she saw no one. "Definitely lost my mind. Now I'm hearing voices. I wonder if I hit my head."

"Lady Sango, it's me! Myouga! Over here!" She turned to where the voice seemed to originate and saw that it was in fact the demon flea and retainer of Inuyasha, hopping up and down on top of Kirara's head.

"Oh, Myouga! When did you get here?"

"Not too long ago. I have an important message to give Lady Kagome when she returns and then I must be off. How has Lady Kagome been? Anything odd happening?"

Sango furrowed her brow at the odd question. "She's…fine. She… well, I guess her hearing gotten a lot better. They figured it was a side effect of Sesshoumaru's youki. And she grew claws at will earlier. I guess I would call that odd."

"So it has already begun."

"What has, Myouga?"

"What? Oh, nothing. Nothing at all." She watched as the flea disappeared into Kirara's fur. A moment later the kitten began to scratch and she followed him with her eyes as he went flying half way across the clearing before disappearing into the grass.

"Sure, I believe you," she said, more to herself than to the flea who was doing all he could to avoid answering the question.

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She reached up and towel dried the long silver stands of silk he called hair before drying herself and slipping on her pajamas. They consisted of short shorts and a spaghetti string tank top that stopped above her belly button. Both pieces were a baby blue with a pattern of clouds, stars, and moons. She heard him chuckle as she stood facing the trees as he dressed. When he had donned his new pants he called out to her. "It's safe now Kagome. I'm covered." His voice was filled with his amusement and she crinkled her nose at him before letting out a low growl.

"So did you rinse them out enough or do you want me to do it again?"

"They should be fine. I will respond to the scrolls Jaken returned with this evening and in the morning I will send him with the replies and any clothes that need to be washed. He will return with fresh clothing."

"We should probably have the kids take a bath in the morning before he goes so he can take their clothes too." He nodded his agreement as he slipped his haori on, watching as she replaced the soaps and bottles in her bag before pulling out a large clear bag. "Here, give me the wet pants and the haori too. Do you have another sash or is that it?"

"There are more in the supplies. What is that?"

"Oh, this is a plastic zipper bag. Plastic is waterproof so I keep all my clean clothes in them and I put my dirty or wet clothes in different ones so they don't get my things wet or smear demon guts or mud everywhere." He watched with interest as she placed his soiled clothing in the bag before sealing it. She did the same with hers and tossed both bags in her shoulder bag. As she moved towards him she passed the rock mokomoko rested on and the fur with a mind of its own wrapped around her knee before traveling up her body, stopping only when it hung evenly over her shoulders. "I guess he likes me."

"Mokomoko desires to hold you just as I do." He took hold of her hand, lacing their fingers together before beginning the walk back to camp.


	52. Miroku and Myouga

**Chapter 52 – Miroku & Myouga**

"Sesshoumaru?"

"Hn?"

"Isamu and Yuudai. What's their punishment going to be?"

He was silent for a moment. To be honest he hadn't even begun to think about it. He had been much to distracted by the angel at his side. How could he punish them? He had never needed to punish any of his sons or Rin before and he had no idea where to start. "This Sesshoumaru has not yet decided. Tell me, how are children punished in your time?"

She took a minute to think about it. "Well, I suppose it depends on the type of parent you are and what you did. Some parents spank their kids. Some take a toy away for a period of time. Or they ground you; you can't go play for a week or no friends over, something like that. My mother grounded me with no TV or phone, not that they have any idea what either of those are. Then there's time out, that's a popular one for small children."

"Tell me of this 'time out'."

"Well, the child is made to sit in a chair or stand in a corner or something similar for a certain length of time. I suppose something like that would work. You could tell them that they had to stay in camp at a certain spot for a day and that they can't go and play with the others. I suppose they wouldn't like it very much and certainly wouldn't want to do it again, which is the whole point in punishment, isn't it? To teach them not to repeat whatever they did in the first place?"

"I agree. Not being able to run and play for a day while the others did would definitely be a suitable punishment."

"Yeah, they'll be bored but they will think next time before they do something they know they shouldn't. I feel kinda bad though. They were trying to find me. They were worried."

"Yes but they put themselves in danger. It is not your fault. You have nothing to feel bad about."

"Can't help it. Oh, do you smell that?"

"Yes, I have for several minutes. Apparently they have begun to prepare dinner."

"Someone went hunting. Oh that smells wonderful."

"I knew you'd like it," Inuyasha said, causing them both to turn towards the voice. In a few seconds he and the boys became visible, Hisoka and Akihiro carrying two cooking pots.

"You went hunting?"

"Well, it was the boys' idea. I just went along to make sure they were safe and help them out. And Sango and Rin picked these berries for desert, Inuyasha said while tipping his head in the direction of said berries.

"We got two big boars!" Yuudai cried out.

"And we even started cooking it!" Isamu added.

"You started cooking? How did you…?"

"Just the way you like it, Kagome. Little bit sized pieces on sticks roasted over the fire. The boys found the sticks and helped me spear the meat."

"Inuyasha! I can't believe you did that!" She slipped her hand from Sesshoumaru's and threw her arms around the hanyou's neck. He stiffened at the contact for a moment; searching Sesshoumaru for signs of anger but when he found none he relaxed and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Just for you. Thought it would be a nice surprise."

"Well it is! Thank you, Inuyasha!" She squeezed him tight before pulling back. "And thank you guys too!" She smiled brightly at them. "Well let's go then! It smells too good and I'm hungry!" It only took the now very hungry miko another minute to reach the edge of their clearing. She smiled at Sango who was carefully turning the sticks to cook the meat evenly. "Are they almost done?"

Sango laughed at her sister's eagerness. Apparently Kagome was looking forward to her surprise dinner. "Just another couple of minutes."

"That's great! Is there anything you need me to do?"

"Nope. Everything is taken care of." She smiled at the two boys who set the pots of cleaned berries nearby. Just a few more minutes and Kagome and the rest of the pack were filling their stomachs with perfectly roasted boar and beautifully sweet and ripe berries. While they ate Sesshoumaru informed the youngest twins of their punishment. While they weren't too happy about it, they felt as if they had gotten off rather easy. Their brothers were silently thinking the same thing. Sure, none of them had ever earned a punishment before but what their father had said was nowhere near what they had expected. Because of this no one dared to complain for fear of him changing his mind.

Silence hung in the clearing for a while before Kagome attempted to change the subject. "Tomorrow morning everyone is getting a bath again. Jaken is going to be going back to the palace tomorrow afternoon so he might as well take those dirty clothes with him."

"Will you wash our hair again?" Hisoka asked, his voice soft and timid.

"I don't know sweetie. I really need to get in some more studying. We'll see in the morning who'll go with you, okay?" She watched the little boy nod with a smile before continuing to enjoy her surprise meal. She would have to remember to do something special for Inuyasha and the boys for hunting and preparing the food, and Sango and Rin too for the delicious berries for dessert. She smiled as she noticed that Sesshoumaru was actually eating with the rest of them. Even though he preferred his meat raw, as did the boys, none seemed to mind since Sango had left some of the skewers only lightly cooked just for their demon companions.

When dinner was finished Kagome smiled at how tired all the children looked. Apparently Isamu and Yuudai weren't the only ones who didn't sleep well the night before. She helped them all get read for bed before reading them another story from the book she had purchased for that express purpose. They listened as she read, entranced as she changed her voice slightly for the different characters. By the time she finished they were all barely holding on to consciousness as her scent and voice lulled them to sleep. She kissed them each on the forehead before covering them up. Sure, summer was coming but the air still held a slight chill of spring, especially during the night.

Sesshoumaru had watched for a few minutes as Kagome read to the children. Something about the image made him feel warm inside, a lot like he did when she held tightly to him. When he was finally able to drag his attention from his pups' new mother he summoned Jaken who immediately began to fill his Lord in on all that had transpired on his last trip to the palace. Sesshoumaru listened with interest as his little green retainer spoke of Kagura and the saimyosho. He silently approved of Jaken's decision to up the guard and army presence in the palace and the western lands. He was just as surprised as Jaken had been when told of how Kagura killed the saimyosho that were supposed to be on her side, although his face showed nothing.

Jaken was sure to relay the wind witch's message word for word. "She told me to tell you, my Lord, she will allow no spies of Naraku to report about any happenings in the western lands for as long as she can. It should give you more time without an attack. Naraku is trying to form a plan to gain possession of the miko and to obtain the power and yours, my Lord. The less he knows the weaker his plan will be. She said to tell the miko she spoke the truth. She wishes only to be free of that monster but he holds her heart and could kill her in an instant so she is forced to follow his orders. She said she knows you don't trust her but it may eventually be to your advantage to consider what she has to share."

"Is that so? The witch is either quite brave or quite stupid to believe she may speak to this Sesshoumaru in such a way." He glanced around; making sure Kagome was fully distracted before he spoke again. "And of Natsuko?"

"Oh, yes my Lord!"

"Lower your voice, now." The tone in which he spoke said all he needed. Speak quietly or I will remove your tongue and toss it off a cliff in to a ravine to be eaten by scavengers.

Jaken immediately took the hint. "So sorry, My Lord," he said in a much lower voice. "Natsuko said that she believes she knows just where the item you requested is, and that she would make the requested alterations. She also wishes for me to ask if you would like for her to ready the accompanying accessories and make similar alterations to them as well."

"Very good Jaken. Tell Natsuko to do so. Also inform her that I would like the items wrapped in the finest material so that they are ready when it is time." Jaken nodded and bowed low once again. "Bring me the scrolls you retrieved as well as my writing supplies. I will use the 'pen' Kagome bestowed upon this Sesshoumaru." Nodding once more the little toad was up in an instant to retrieve what his lord had ordered.

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Once she had finished her recently established bedtime ritual with the children she rose and went to sit beside Miroku. "You still want to take that walk?"

He jumped at the sound of her voice so nearby. He hadn't even noticed her approach or when she sat right next to him. Once he had gotten over his moment of shock he nodded. "Yes, very much so. Thank you Kagome."

"No need to thank me. I haven't even done anything yet." They rose together and walked out of the clearing, Kazue perched on Kagome's shoulder just in case of any danger. Neither noticed as Sango watched them leave with confusion in her eyes. They walked for a while in silence before Kagome decided he would need a bit of prodding. "Miroku? What is it you wanted to talk to me about? You said Sango said some odd things?"

"Y…Yes. She… she was speaking of living our lives one day at a time, taking full advantage of the time we have since we all could die any time with the way we live. She said we should say what we want to say and do what we want to do because we might not get the chance tomorrow. She said that even if one of us died she would never wish to have avoided the pain by not meeting them, that the time spent together was worth the potential pain of loss." He looked at her, his eyes showing his worry and confusion.

"Wow. Morbid much?"

"Yes, I know. I am quite concerned as to what it is that is causing her to think so much on death."

'That's not it,' Kagome heard Kazue say in her mind.

'Then what is it?' Kagome asked her silently.

'Kirara has been sharing with Sango the things the monk has confided in her along the way. She is now aware of how he feels about her and why he has so far attempted to keep her at arms length.'

"Kagome?"

"Huh? What?" She saw the odd look on his face and scrambled for an excuse. "Sorry, I was just thinking about what you told me Sango said. I'm trying to remember if there is any reason I would know about."

"Oh," he said with a fair amount of suspicion in his voice. He stayed silent though, watching her as her expression changed rapidly.

'Why does he?'

'He is afraid that if he admits his feelings and she feels the same way she will only end up hurt when he leaves her. He is certain he is going to be killed by the wind tunnel. I believe Sango is trying to tell him that she is willing to risk the pain to be with him.'

'I get it. Thanks! It would have been like pulling teeth dragging that out of Sango.'

'It was nothing my lady, I mean Kagome.'

Kagome smiled a bit before turning to look at her friend the hentai monk. "You love her, don't you?" She laughed a little at the stricken expression on his face. "It's obvious so don't bother lying about it."

He appeared to be having an internal battle with himself before he finally responded. "Yes, I love her."

"But you're afraid you'll die and leave her." He merely nodded. "First thing Miroku, is that you need to hold onto your hope. We will kill Naraku. We will not let the wind tunnel take you from us. Don't give up before the fight is even close to over. And second, I think she suspects you have feelings that you are holding back. She's trying to nudge you in the right direction. She wants you to confess your feelings to her."

"You really think so?"

"Of course! I know Sango. She would never avoid going after something she wanted just because she might get hurt in the end. She's trying to tell you that she is willing to take the risk. She is willing to be with you, to enjoy every day she would have with you, even if you were to end up dying. And we're not going to let you die anyway."

"So, you think she feels the same about me?"

"Yes, silly! I don't know how you could miss it! It's pretty obvious to anyone with eyes!"

"Really?" His face seemed to lift as the tension and fear dropped away. He let out a small chuckle. "I've been so busy trying to keep her from getting hurt I totally missed it."

"It's alright. There's still time! You should tell her how you feel. Talk about your fears. At the very least she should be able to decide whether or not to risk it. By trying to shield her from potential pain you are taking away her choice. She's strong, Miroku. She isn't afraid of pain. I bet she thinks you're worth it." She smiled widely at him before opening her arms wide. He took the invitation and hugged her tightly to him, for once keeping his hands where they belonged. He wasn't stupid and he definitely wasn't looking to be killed by the taiyoukai he knew loved this young woman he loved as well, the woman he considered a member of his family, his sister. He had no intention of ever touching her inappropriately again. It was just too dangerous.

As they separated he spoke. "Thank you Kagome. I don't know how you do it but you always know just the right thing to say. I'm going to do it. I am going to tell Sango that I love her." He paused for a moment. "Just as soon as I figure out how."

Kagome giggled and took hold of his hand. It was the cursed one, the really cursed one that was the source of his fears. "Don't let this," she lifted his hand with her own, "hold you back anymore." She gave his hand a comforting squeeze before giving his arm a little tug. "Come on now. We should get back to camp. It's getting late." He squeezed back and they turned, retracing the path they had taken, walking hand in hand. She could sense his nervousness as they got closer. "What are you so worried about? You don't have to do it this instant."

He looked her over, contemplating whether he could confess or not. Deciding he could tell her he looked into her beautiful blue eyes. "It's not that. Well, okay, it is that a little. But it's something else too."

"What is it?" She watched as he made the obvious movement of looking at their still connected hands before looking towards camp. "You're kidding, right? He's not gonna kill ya for holding my hand. I promise."

"It's just that, well, I expect that he is rather territorial, the jealous type, you know what I mean."

"He's not that bad actually." He snorted at her words. "He's not! Really!"

"He nearly killed that villager for holding your hand."

"No, that was because I didn't want him to be holding my hand. Plus he said some very stupid things. I promise he won't freak out on you."

He didn't look a bit convinced but he trusted her. "Alright. If you say so." They began walking once again, Kagome noticing he was walking much slower than before, as if trying to delay the inevitable. She gave a reassuring squeeze and they stepped into camp. Inuyasha, Sango, Jaken, and Sesshoumaru all lifted their heads, having heard or sensed their return. Miroku watched as the eyes of both Jaken and Inuyasha enlarged. He knew it. He was going to die, right here and now. He forced himself to look at the demon lord who he expected to be filled with rage that he dared to touch his chosen female. Needless to say he was quite surprised when the taiyoukai merely nodded, acknowledging their presence, before returning to his papers.

"Thought for sure he was a goner," Inuyasha said under his breath.

"Inuyasha, there is no harm in me holding Miroku's hand. He's my friend, like family. And besides, your brother knows that he isn't competition."

Inuyasha stared at her in shock. He had yet to hear about her improved hearing and had absolutely no idea how she heard what he said. Everyone's attention was captured when Sesshoumaru spoke. He didn't even bother to lift his eyes from what he was writing. "So long as the monk keeps his hands in respectful areas he will be fine. If he were to be so foolish as to allow his hand to wander, however, he may find himself missing one."

"See? I told you." She released the Miroku's hand and looked at him. His face resembled a man that just got a stay of execution. He nodded at her before moving to take his place near the fire and even nearer to Sango. To his surprise but also his pleasure she did not move away. Maybe Kagome really was right, and Sango was just waiting for him to make his move.

Kagome started to walk towards Sesshoumaru but was stopped by a voice. It sounded like the one speaking was right next to her ear and once she realized who it was she discovered she was right. Myouga was sitting on Kazue's head, right by Kagome's ear. "Lady Kagome! I finally found you!"

"Myouga? When did you get here?"

"Just a few hours ago. I have a very important message I must pass on to you before I go."

"A message?" Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha both attempted to look as if they weren't paying attention, but she could tell by the twitching ears as well as the slight tilt of Sesshoumaru's head that they were both listening intently.

Apparently Myouga noticed as well. "Lady Kagome, I must tell you and you alone."

Kagome looked on as Sesshoumaru lifted his head, obviously looking at her now as he lifted a brow. 'What could the flea have to say to you that would need such privacy?'

'Hell if I know.'

'Take Kazue with you and humor the little demon. He has been a faithful servant for many years and can be trusted.'

"Alright. I'll take another walk. But Kazue stays with me."

"That is fine, Lady Kagome. Thank you. I must relay the message immediately as I have another to visit as well and it will be a long trip." Kagome merely nodded before walking into the woods once again. After a few minutes she found a semi-comfortable place to sit and she waited for the flea to start. "Lady Kagome, it has recently come to my attention that Lord Sesshoumaru has developed an interest in you."

Kagome let out a little laugh. "Yeah, you could call it that."

"I have been with Lord Sesshoumaru's family for a long time. I came with his mother when she mated with his father. She spoke often of a dream where a priestess came to her and told her of the son she would produce with the western lord. Once he was born she told myself and her other faithful servants that her son would fall in love with a human, a miko who was much more than she seemed. She made me promise that when this came to pass I would come and speak with you. She knew she would not live to see her son's mating and so she ensured her words would be passed on."

"So the message is from Sesshoumaru's mother?"

"Yes. Lady Misaki said she had every reason to believe that what she had been told would come to pass as the words of the priestess had already been proven true in such a way as she could not deny."

"Okay, so what's the message already?"

"Lady Misaki wished for me to tell the miko who claimed her son's heart to listen to the words of your elders, for what may seem unimportant will prove to be essential to your mission. She followed the instructions given in her dream exactly, and you will find what you seek right where he said it would be."

"Where who said it would be?"

"I'm sorry Lady Kagome but I do not know."

"What else did she tell you, about her dreams?"

"Lady Misaki made me promise to tell you only what she asked. I cannot tell you more. All will make itself clear when the time is right."

Kagome frowned. She wanted to know all that Myouga knew but it would be impossible to drag the information out of the little flea demon. Not only that though. She was having the strangest feeling that she was missing something, something she knew. Something about what he had told her was familiar in some way but she just couldn't remember! "Is that all then?"

"Yes, my Lady. She also desired for you to tell her son that she is proud of him, that she knows the path was a difficult one to take but he followed the right one. Despite the pain and loneliness he suffered for so long he did not close his heart. She wishes for him to know that he has chosen correctly."

Kagome couldn't keep down the blush that was created by the words of Sesshoumaru's mother. She believed that Sesshoumaru made the right choice when he chose her. "Al…alright. I'll tell him."

"It is up to you whether you share her message to you with the others. She only required that I speak with you alone. I have to be going now. I'll be seeing all of you soon!" Before she had a chance to ask what he meant by soon the tiny little demon had disappeared. Being so small definitely had some advantages. Kagome shrugged her shoulders before turning to head back to camp. Lifting Kazue from her shoulder into her arms she petted her soft fur absentmindedly and she walked on automatic pilot. She was lost deep in her mind, trying to figure out what about Myouga's words was so damn familiar!

Sesshoumaru was just sealing up his final scroll when he heard Kagome return. Looking up he couldn't help but wonder where her mind was because it was obviously not here. "Kagome?" No answer. She didn't even look up. "Kagome, are you alright?" Beginning to get worried, Sesshoumaru stood and walked towards her. She didn't register his presence until he cupped her cheek in his hand. When her eyes finally focused on his own he tried again. "Kagome, are you alright?" Looking around she realized that Inuyasha was now at her side too.

"What the fuck happened? What'd he say?"

"I…I'm fine…I just… something he said seems so familiar but I can't figure out why."

"Remember what you told Akihiro? That when you are trying to remember something sometimes it is best to stop thinking about it. You should sleep. Perhaps it will come to you in the morning."

Kagome smiled and nodded her agreement. "You're probably right." Sesshoumaru took her hand and led her to where the children slept. They were all laying to one side or the other of the laid out sleeping bag, leaving space in the middle for when their Mama came to bed. Miroku's eyes widened in surprise before glancing at Sango. She was already asleep and he was sure he had to be too. Never would Sesshoumaru allow what he had just watched occur. He looked back at them, seeing just what he had seen before. Kagome slept in the middle of the blanket, Sesshoumaru behind her with his arm wrapped snugly around her waist right below her breasts. Rin was held in Kagome's arms, the little girl having shifted as soon as she felt Kagome's presence. But all of that was normal. What had surprised him what when Inuyasha lay in front of Kagome with Rin between them, his arm draped over the child and his hand resting on the dip of her waist a bit below where his brother's arm rested. Sesshoumaru had to be aware but he didn't object. She drifted to sleep immediately, wrapped in the warmth and love of her pack. Miroku rubbed his eyes but the image was still there. With a confused sigh he settled down to sleep.

Jaken sat off to the side where he had been watching, just as shocked. A small smile spread across his little beak. His Lord had never looked so happy. His brother had been returned to him somehow, their relationship repaired. He remembered how hard it had been for Lord Sesshoumaru when he could not keep his brother in the palace. And he remembered just how hard he had searched for a way to break the seal that held him for fifty years. And it was all because of the miko. She wasn't so bad after all. If she could make his stoic lord smile then she was alright in his book.

During the night the boys shifted in an attempt to get closer to Kagome. Isamu and Yuudai ended up wrapped around her calves, one resting on either side of her body. Shippo lay curled up on her hip. Hisoka had draped himself over them, his body laying half on Kagome and half on Sesshoumaru with his head pillowed on his father's arm as it held tightly to the miko. Hitoshi and Akihiro ended up lying perpendicular to everyone else's heads, their heads both slightly on Kagome's pillow and their hands wrapped in her hair. Yoshi and Shin were the only ones not touching her in some way as they lay snuggled up to Sesshoumaru's back. There just wasn't enough Kagome to go around.

Author's Notes:

I'm not dead, I swear. I'm almost fully recovered. The cold just doesn't want to surrender the lungs. Me and my Mucinex have been best friends now for a while. Even antibiotics didn't fully kill it. So annoying. For those who asked, my mom isn't better. She was, but then she got sick again like before. She's sick usually Sunday afternoon thru Wednesday at least and then she starts feeling better and then she feels near perfect by Saturday and the cycle begins again. All the labs came back normal so she went to see a gastroenterologist who didn't really have any ideas so now she has to have an endoscopy and a colonoscopy at the same time like three days before Christmas. Yuck!

The kid's fine. She refused to slow down even when she was sick which makes everything so much more difficult. She's still got some snuffles too. Thanksgiving was fine. We went to my grandparents but my step-dad cooked everything there rather than grandma doing it. He's designated chef now. Of course my throat felt like it was going to swell closed so I didn't really eat much.

We did go out on black Friday. Left the house at 4 to get to walmart at 5 but we got pulled over for a frickin' license plate bulb. They really have something against my husband. Three times in like two months and never in his car. Once he got pulled over in my mom's truck because the license plate was covered in mud! We live on a freakin' dirt road and it rained for like three weeks straight. Of course the damn thing was muddy. The best part of that one was that he wasn't even going to be going anywhere except we blew a tire and he had to come and rescue us. "I'm not even supposed to be here today!" One of our favorite sayings and it so applies to him. Then he got pulled over in moms truck again for a broken taillight. And now the license plate bulb in step-dads van. Poor David is always getting picked on. LOL I think it's hilarious.

Anyway, so we did Walmart, Target, Toys R us, and Best Buy. Didn't get home til like eleven. I was so tired and sore I wanted to die. But I got all the presents for Destiny and all the nieces and nephews too so no more shopping. Just an ass-load of wrapping. My closet is stuffed.

I'm caught up at now so all new chapters will go up on all three sites simultaneously. So pick which site's your favorite!

FF . net –

Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far! I think I replied to any that had questions. Starting with this chapter I'll start my responses as usual.

Mediaminer . org –

Little Rini - I didn't die! Yay!

Child of the moon – looking forward to reading your story. Send me a link when it's up!

Inulover4ever – Glad you're enjoying the story so far!

Monk-miko – So many guesses on Rin, and yet so long a wait to find out… Glad you liked the Sango scene. I've actually written past their confessions now! Oh, and the beads part too! I'm working on 56 now.

Deviousauthoress – Yeah, still here. Thanks for the concern!

Asinglespark (I so want to abbreviate this one but it would be ASS and I don't think they'd appreciate it ;-)

Sunset Love – working on 56 now. Not sure if I've read until death or not. I'll have to look at it.

Iloveprettysilverhair – Yeah, I'm trying to keep the intimacy as realistic as possible. No diving into full on lemons although I promise they will come eventually! (And probably often too if my hentai mind as anything to do with it)

Kawaii-kilala – you are so close on one of your guesses that I have to glue my mouth shut. Mmpphh..mphh..mmpphh! Don't feel bad about forgetting chapter two. It was a LOOOOONNNG time ago after all. That's why I made a point to remind everyone, but then I guess you would be reminded once Kagome remembers. About my fathers parents, yeah, all one wife. I think they married young. They were pretty old by the time my dad was born and both died one when he was 17 and one 18, or 16/17. Not sure. My oldest uncle looks like he could be my grandpa no problem. Very interesting family. Glad you had a great birthday!

Sarah – glad you like it so much. Makes me want to keep writing!

G – decide what you want yet? Five times ain't so bad. I've probably read most of it twenty times.

Brainshake – They've been at the camp for about a week now. They're hanging around cuz Kagome has to go back for exam week. After that they head out. I know it seems like forever since there are so many chapters in each day. Maybe sometime I'll format my calendar so you all can see it. It helps me keep track of who did what when.

Allundra – It does get cold in like January but I have a serious hatred of the heat and am sooo missing seeing seasons change. It'll be ten years in june that we left Pennsylvania. Waaaayyy too long to be without a real spring, fall, or winter. Its all the same here. No pretty leaves, no snow, nothing but the stupid sand and red ants. (You might notice I'm rather bitter about the whole thing)

Inupriestess – You must have my story confused with another cuz none of that was in mine. He's still one armed and will be for a while, though I promised Arryelle that the arm shall return.

Ginrei – Did you really wanna put your address in the review? I can delete it if you want. I need your full name for the check and I'll have my mom write it up and send it off. Are you sure ten dollars is enough? Shipping is damn expensive these days. (used to have an ebay business and have watched the prices go up a lot in two years) Let me know. You can email if you want for privacy. Cmk2cmm aol . com

Snowbird – Glad you found it. I loved writing the bra thing. So much fun. Yeah, she's kind of a tease. Things will be progressing soon enough though. Gotta have a couple more limes first. I want all the intimate scenes to be different as much as possible. I get bored if the lemons are the same thing over and over again.

Reine – Thanks for being thankful for me. So sweet. I'm having a lot of fun writing or I wouldn't be doing it but it's always nice to be appreciated. You guys keep me smiling. Fifty chapters is big for me but the file I have in word of all the posted chapters is almost 400 pages now! I almost passed out when I noticed that!

Jean – I figure the shorty pajamas are more of a cutie little innocent girl thing than trying to be seductive, being as they're the old set. She can't be too modest if you remember her school gym uniform! I couldn't believe it the first time I saw it!

Obsidian tresses – I have no idea how many chapters it'll have since I only know the rough plot, main points, etc. But it's gonna be freakin' huge if the first 50 show anything. Hell, they haven't even started traveling yet and I've got a whole week of Kagome's time to write before that! I said over a hundred a while ago but I think I need to adjust that. More like two, maybe three hundred? I can't imagine if I get back to the chapter a day and it would take a whole year?!?! Kinda overwhelming to think about.

Jordan – No need for a sequel yet since this is far from done.


	53. How Can I Study When You're On My Mind

**Chapter 53 – How Can I Study When You're On My Mind**

The sun slowly crept over the horizon to shine on the group sleeping peacefully in a clearing in Inuyasha's Forest. Sesshoumaru was the first to wake and was rather amused by what he found. Hisoka was actually lying on top of him and Kagome. Shippo was curled up into a little ball on her hip, his fluffy tail covering most of his body. Glancing up he saw Akihiro and Hitoshi with their hands wrapped in her hair. Glancing down he saw Isamu and Yuudai holding on to her legs. There was no way she could move. She had been thoroughly trapped. _'At least we can be sure no one could take her from camp as we slept,_' he thought to himself. He caught sight of his brother's open eyes as the hanyou smirked. "I take it you have noticed our situation?" he said softly so as to not wake Kagome.

"Yeah. I guess they wanted to be close to her. I know Kagome would love a picture of this if she had her camera."

"She did not bring it?" Sesshoumaru whispered. He had learned about this 'camera' thing when Inuyasha had brought all the supplies through the well.

"Don't think so. If she did she would have been chasing the kids around with the thing."

"Hn. This Sesshoumaru is going to take the boys for their bath. I would like you to stay with Kagome. She needs to focus on her studying and she has not been able to do so for the last few days."

"That's fine with me. I wanted to talk to her anyway."

"You are not to distract her from her studies."

"I won't! I just haven't gotten to talk to her much with everything going on. So how do we get out of here?"

"We will either have to wait until the children and Kagome wake or wake them ourselves. Are you so eager to escape?"

Inuyasha thought about it for a minute. He had never been quite so comfortable in his entire life. "Nah. It's kinda nice. It's like… I don't know."

"Like you have a family and a pack again?"

"Yeah. And it's all because of her. I owe her so much. She's changed my entire existence for the better."

"Mine as well, brother. Mine as well."

The brothers fell silent, both just enjoying the comfort of her presence, aura, and scent along with the feel of being surrounded by pack. Neither had ever experienced anything quite like it. Sesshoumaru had been close, but she had been unconscious and Rin, Shippo, and his brother had not been present. Holding her in his arms while surrounded by their pack was something he would never get enough of. It made him feel whole, complete, like everything was as it should be. Inuyasha was thinking almost the same exact thing. In his mind, at this moment, all was right with the world. All the pain he had suffered during his childhood, the pain of Kikyo's betrayals and of his mother's death, the hate he held for himself for being a hanyou, it was all gone. It didn't matter how the rest of the world saw him. He had everything he needed right here.

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Kagura had returned and was currently working up the nerve to enter her master's chambers. She hadn't seen Kohaku yet so she didn't know what to expect, why he had been calling her. She sucked in one more deep breath and let it out slowly before sliding open the screen that separated his room from the hall. She kept her eyes to the floor as she approached where he sat.

"It is about time, Kagura. Where have you been?" His tone was level, controlled, so she still didn't know whether he was angry or not, if he knew of her betrayals or if he merely wanted her to do something.

She glanced up and took in his expression. He looked as if he was practicing to keep his face expressionless like Lord Sesshoumaru's but he was failing. His eyes showed his suspicion and his lip was curled just the slightest bit relaying to her the snarl he had held back as he spoke. "Master Naraku, I have been surveying the land in an attempt to locate demons who could be encouraged to join with you against your enemies."

"Really? And did you locate any?"

_'Shit! Maybe that wasn't the best excuse. Think! Think! Shit, he's going to kill me.' _Kagura was wracking her brain for anything that would save her from this situation. "The demons are wary of my presence. It seems that word of your power has spread, causing them to fear your companions as well as yourself. I could not bring them to speak with me so that I could convince them to join with you." _'Just perfect. Stroke the egomaniac's ego and maybe he won't realize that you're full of shit!' _she thought to herself while awaiting his response.

"Perhaps they will need some additional **convincing**. The saimyosho have been failing to return to me, though one did bring rather interesting information. Go and locate for me several groups of demons that could possibly be **persuaded** to serve me. I have need of semi-intelligent demons to put my plan into action. Do not fail me, Kagura. You know what will happen if you do so. Take the boy with you. Perhaps his presence can be used to your advantage."

"Yes, Lord Naraku. I will find those who can be bent to your will." She held in her sigh of relief as she turned and walked from the room. She nearly jumped out of her skin as she noticed Kohaku suddenly at her side. The boy moved silently. She nodded at him and the two proceeded out of the dilapidated castle, immediately departing on the wind demoness' feather. Once they were a distance from the castle she turned to the boy. "Do you know what information he spoke of?"

The young demon slayer nodded. "The one that returned had witnessed the transformation take place on the hanyou's human night. He now knows Inuyasha's night of weakness and intends to attack on the next new moon, separating him from his companions when he cannot defend himself." Kagura's eyes widened. "Once he has killed the hanyou he intends to kidnap the miko. He believes she will have lost the will to fight against him once Inuyasha is dead."

"We have to warn them somehow."

"I agree, but we must also do as Naraku bid and locate demons to serve him or he will become more suspicious of your actions than he already is. The saimyosho failing to return has angered him and he was beginning to suspect that you were the cause."

She smirked at him. "I was, although I am certain Lord Sesshoumaru has killed any that approached his pack as well. I merely kept him from realizing that Lord Sesshoumaru is no longer at his palace or in the west. He has joined with the hanyou and miko's pack."

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The monk had nudged Sango awake so she could see the group piled on and around Kagome. She wouldn't have believed him if she hadn't seen it herself. The two then set about to rekindle the fire that had burned out overnight, making sure to be as quiet as possible. It was the scent of breakfast cooking that finally drew Kagome from her sleep. It also caused little demon noses to twitch with interest. Kagome couldn't help but grin as she realized her position. "I guess I can't get up until they do," she said softly while looking at Inuyasha.

She felt Sesshoumaru nuzzle his head into her hair and felt a low growl rumble through his chest into her own. "It appears they all wish to be as near to you as possible."

"Well, I am going to be gone for a whole week soon. They might as well get as much of me now as they can so they don't miss me so much."

"They will miss you no matter what. I know you all are awake. Get up so that Kagome can move."

"Sneaky kids, huh? Come on. We'll all go to the stream and wash up for breakfast." There were some groans of complaint but the children all released their holds on their miko mommy. Rin was nudged awake and then there were three. Inuyasha rolled onto his back and then stood, leaving Kagome only being held down by the demon lord. "You know, Sesshoumaru, you need to let me go too."

He merely grunted before nuzzling deeper into her hair and breathing her in deeply. He pulled her a bit closer, drawing her attention to the hardness poking at her bottom. 'This Sesshoumaru is not yet ready to release you.'

'Can we at least sit up?' He grudgingly complied, pulling her with him as he sat before arranging her in his lap. "Inuyasha, can you take the kids to wash their faces and hands for me? Apparently I'm not going anywhere for a bit."

Inuyasha looked at her funny, trying to figure out what was going on. A quick sniff explained it all. He smirked at his brother. "Not ready to let her go or are you trying to hide something?"

Sesshoumaru growled a warning to the hanyou while Kagome shot him a glare. "Inuyasha, just go."

"Keh," was all he said before turning and walking away towards the stream, his smirk never leaving his face. The children followed behind him obediently, though they were all wondering what had just happened.

'Sesshoumaru, I need to get up.'

'In a minute.'

He heard her let out a sigh. 'I doubt me sitting in your lap is going to help the situation.' She was right, of course, but still he didn't want to release her. 'If you let me go I'm sure you can sit in a way that no one will notice. And maybe once I'm gone it will go away.' His arm tightened for a moment before he finally released her. She stood up and looked back at him with a smile. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Then we can eat and figure out who's giving the kids a bath." He nodded and she walked away in the direction of the stream to join Inuyasha and the children.

By the time they all returned breakfast was ready. After the quick meal Sesshoumaru announced that he would take the boys for their bath so that Kagome could study. Inuyasha then said that he would stay with her to make sure she was safe. Sango volunteered to take Rin with her when she went to take her own bath. Once that was decided the boys gathered their clean clothes and Kagome handed them a bag with her bathing supplies so they had soap and shampoo. She also handed them some towels. After a peck on the forehead for each boy and a quick kiss to Sesshoumaru they were off. Kagome helped Rin and Sango wash the breakfast dishes in the stream before gathering her books and finding a nice quiet spot to study, with Inuyasha sitting at her side.

Once Kagome and Inuyasha were gone only Jaken, Rin, Sango, and Miroku remained. Kirara, Kazue, and Ah Un had all been told they could go find something to eat. Rin sat next to Jaken while she colored, talking all the while. She was rather enjoying telling her toad demon friend how wonderful she thought her new Mama was. Sango and Miroku smiled as they overheard the happy little girl.

Miroku was still having an internal battle over what to do. He knew he needed to tell her how he felt. He even had reason to believe she felt the same way if Kagome was right, and she usually was. So the question wasn't whether to tell her but how. How do you tell the woman you have loved for two years how you feel? How do you explain why you kept her at arms length all that time, why you flirted with other women so she wouldn't suspect anything? He had no idea. This wasn't something to be done lightly. She was the one, the only one he had ever felt like this about, the only woman he would ever want, so he couldn't screw this up. He needed time to think, to figure out some way to do this. But he had no idea. He needed advice, but who could he ask? He certainly couldn't ask Inuyasha. His track record with the female species wasn't so great. He could ask Kagome but chances are she wouldn't know how either. She never did confess her feelings to Inuyasha when she had them. Kaede surely couldn't help. What about Sesshoumaru? He seemed to be doing pretty well at getting the girl he wanted, but then he did have fate on his side. But still, Kagome had said that Sesshoumaru was doing just fine on his own, that he didn't need their help. She certainly seemed happy with him even if they weren't officially together or mated yet. Maybe Sesshoumaru would have some kind of advice, some idea to at least point him in the right direction. With that decided he rose and began to walk towards the hot spring.

"Miroku, where are you going?" Sango asked. He had been acting so oddly ever since she talked to him. And then last night he took a walk alone with Kagome. She was getting worried. What if he really didn't like her after all? What if he changed his mind? What if he totally misinterpreted what she said? She needed to find out what he and Kagome had talked about.

"I need to take a bath as well so I figured I would join the boys."

"Oh, alright," Sango said slowly. Now it was just her. Rin was thoroughly distracted talking to Jaken, while Jaken appeared to be doing his best not to tell the little girl to shut up. He kept looking towards the demon slayer with a 'somebody help me' look on his face but she was ignoring him. She didn't have anything to do while she waited for the boys to finish their baths so she and Rin could have their turn. Deciding to take advantage of the down time she decided to polish her weapon and check it for cracks. She hadn't done so in a while and it wouldn't be good if the thing broke in half during a battle because she hadn't taken care of it.

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Kagome was trying to study, really she was, but she just couldn't stop thinking. If she put the necklace on Sesshoumaru and it worked then would he insist on going home with her? That was definitely what it seemed like. He wanted to see her time and meet her family, so much so that he was willing to be subjugated even though he had witnessed multiple times just what that did to Inuyasha. If he went home with her what would her family think? Then it dawned on her. Her mother knew who her Sakimitama was but had refused to tell her. Hell, she was probably expecting him to show up. But he would insist on saying the entire week and she had been hoping to see her friends at least a little bit before she was gone for months. Would he even stay at her house while she went to school or would he be like Inuyasha and sit impatiently on the roof? And if her friends showed up at the shrine, which she knew was fairly likely, what would they think him? She couldn't really hide the guy. I mean come on, he's huge! Plus he would probably think she was trying to hide him because she was embarrassed or something like that. She found it interesting just how insecure her big bad demon could be. Shaking her head Kagome let out a sigh. She didn't realize it but it was the fifth sigh in the last two minutes and it was really starting to bug Inuyasha.

"What's the damn problem?"

"Huh?" she asked intelligently.

"Why do you keep sighing? You don't even look like you're reading."

She immediately began a new internal debate. Could she tell Inuyasha? What would he say? Would he be upset that his brother would be able to pass through the well too or would he be okay with it? He had been acting much nicer towards Sesshoumaru and the kids since the cave incident but she still wasn't sure. "If I tell you will you promise not to get upset and instead try to help me?"

His eyebrows furrowed as he was suddenly worried. "Sure, sure. What's the matter? What do you need my help with?"

She let out another, even bigger sigh. "Your brother. He had Kaede make him subjugation beads like yours so he can go through the well too. He says he wants to meet my family and learn more about my time so he can better understand me. But I'm not sure how he would act. I wanted to see my friends while I was in my time and even if I didn't, they would probably show up anyway. And then they would mention Hojo or worse he would show up too. I just, I'm not sure what would happen if he went home with me. And on top of that you guys would have to watch the kids for a whole week. Not that I don't think you could handle it but still."

He just stared at her for a minute. Damn she was talking fast! "Did you just say he wants beads like mine?"

"Yeah. He actually asked me to activate them, like when I said s-i-t the first time." She waited for it, silently counting in her head. She had only made it to one when he burst out laughing. "Yeah, that's what I did too." She waited for him to calm down but found herself laughing with him. It really was just too funny, the mental image of Sesshoumaru being thrown to the ground at the word of a human female no less.

"Oh… Oh, Kami, that's great! I don't think I've ever laughed so hard," he finally managed to get out. "I can't believe he actually wants it!"

"I know. It's just odd. But what do you think? Do you think he would be okay in my time?"

Inuyasha looked contemplative for a minute before answering. "Kagome, he loves you. I can tell just by looking at him, besides the fact that he is your embodiment of love and you're destined for each other. He would behave. He would do anything to keep you happy if the beads are any indication. I'm sure things would be fine, and me, the monk, Sango, and Jaken can handle the kids. I am second in command after all. It is my responsibility to protect the pack in his and your absence," he added, sounding rather proud of himself. Sure, he wasn't alpha anymore but beta worked just fine for him. Now that his opinion of Sesshoumaru had changed so drastically he no longer saw any problem with it.

"You're probably right. It's just so weird, thinking about Sesshoumaru in my time, in my house. Never would have guessed it. Now all I have to do is decide on the word and activate the beads. Then we can give it a try."

"So what word are you thinking of?"

"I don't know. When I picked yours it just happened. I had seconds and it just came out. Now that I have time to think about it I'm trying to find a word that I won't say accidentally."

"But you want another dog command, don't you?" he asked with a smirk. He could tell just by the mischievous look on her face.

"I **was** thinking about it," she admitted with a smile. "I was gonna use heel but then I remembered that I would most likely say heal, as in wounds, and the beads probably wouldn't know the difference so that one's out. Lay and Down are too common. Those would be slipping out all the time. It's hard."

"Yeah, I can see that. You'll think of something, I'm sure. If I think of anything good I'll let you know." He paused and just gazed at her for a moment. "Kagome, I don't think I could ever thank you enough."

"For what?" she asked with confusion plainly visible on her face.

"For everything. You have given me so much, more than I could ever repay you for. You taught me what true acceptance is. You helped me make friends, created a new pack. You always believed in me which helped me believe in myself. And to top it all off you gave me my family back. My brother is really my brother again and I'm an uncle!"

"I'm just glad you're happy. That's all that matters to me."

"I want you to be happy too. I want you to know that. If you love my brother, if you want to be his mate, I support you completely. I would be proud to really be your brother."

Kagome's eyes were shining with tears and she sniffled a bit before she replied. "Inuyasha, thank you. I don't know what I would have done if you didn't approve. I love you too much to lose you but I… I'm starting to think that I really love him. When he holds me it's like the world is perfect. I'm just glad I don't have to choose between the two of you."

"I would never make you do that. Not now that I understand him, thanks to you. Now you need to study. I'll think about possible words for you. Deal?"

She grinned at him, happiness shining in her eyes. "Deal."

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Sesshoumaru was sitting against the base of a tree watching as his pups and Shippo splashed and played in the spring. He figured he would let them play for a while to get it out of their systems before making them wash. He held a small smile on his lips. He had never seen them so happy, so playful. Kagome was a good thing for them. He had never known what they were missing, and most likely neither did they until she had come into their lives. Now they knew the love of a mother, real love if her protective instincts said anything about it. She had slipped into the position so perfectly, like the last piece in the puzzle of his life, the one he had been missing and thought to be forever lost. He mentally thanked every Kami he had ever heard of for bringing her to him. He was so deep in his thoughts that he nearly missed it when the monk entered the clearing and sat down beside him. Sesshoumaru turned his heard slightly to observe the monk before he spoke. "Is there something you need from this Sesshoumaru?" He watched as the monk hesitated, as if he were unsure whether he wanted to talk or not. "You obviously want something. Out with it, monk."

Miroku took a deep breath while he worked up his bravery to speak. "I… I was wondering if you could… could give me some… advice… about women."

He couldn't help but feel it as his eyebrow rose to never before seen heights. The lecherous monk wanted **his** advice on women? How could he possibly help? Every woman he had ever come across had been terrified of him except for his Kagome. Maybe the monk thought he was good with women because of her. That had to be it. "This Sesshoumaru is unsure if I will be of any assistance but you may ask."

"Well, see, it's like this. Sango said the weirdest things to me yesterday and then Kagome helped me figure out what she meant when we went on our walk last night. I… I'm in love with Sango, but I had never intended to tell her because she would only end up hurt when my wind tunnel sucks me in. If we don't kill Naraku in time my future is clear. I will die just as my father and his father, sucking into my own void. I couldn't risk hurting her by dying so I loved her from a distance." He glanced at Sesshoumaru who merely nodded for him to go on. "So Kagome thinks that Sango somehow suspects I have feelings for her and wants me to tell her. She said something like 'Even if one of us were to die I would never wish to have not met them at all to avoid the pain. She said we should live each day to the fullest since we have no idea if we will see tomorrow, that we should do what we want and say what we want."

"I believe Kagome is right as to what the slayer was saying."

"I think so too, but my problem is how do I tell her? I love her. She's the woman I want to marry and have a family with. I can't screw this up. I have absolutely no idea how to even start."

He understood now what the monk was asking, and why as well. "You believe that I will know how because I have confessed my feelings to Kagome?" Miroku nodded eager to be let in on the big secret. "This Sesshoumaru cannot tell you how to do so. I expect it would be different for everyone. Besides, there does not seem to be cause for your worry if the slayer is trying to get you to confess your feelings. Doing so leads me to believe she harbors feelings for you as well. She will not deny you. Just be honest with her."

"Kagome said she thought Sango likes me as well."

"It is very likely. I was beginning to suspect so merely by her actions in your presence. She is most likely as nervous as you in regards to the situation. Just keep your hands at respectable locations while you speak with her and I see no reason for a negative result."

Miroku nodded again. "Thank you, Lord Sesshoumaru." He sat silently for a minute before speaking once again. "I need a bath as well. Do you think they would mind if I joined them?"

"You may," was all the taiyoukai said before falling silent once more. His mind drifted then to the beads that still rested in the sleeve of his haori. She said she would do it, though she seemed reluctant. Truth be told he was slightly nervous about the whole thing. What would happen when she activated them? Would he be slammed into the ground like his brother? It would be rather humiliating but he supposed it would be worth it. He trusted that she would not abuse the power. Would he be able to pass through the well then? If he could then he would have to speak with his brother. Inuyasha would have to live up to his position as beta and protect his children. It was odd. He trusted his brother with his sons now more than within the safety of his palace walls. Between Inuyasha being his brother once more and the ease with which Naraku had slipped into his home it wasn't a tough decision.

He called for the attention of his sons and they stilled immediately, awaiting his words. "It is now time for you to wash." They looked a bit upset but they moved to the edge where the soaps and shampoos rested to do as they were told.

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Hiromi smiled brightly as she carried her bags of purchases from the car to the house. She had gone to the mall to pick up a few things and went a little bit over the top, but she decided that it was worth it. This would make things easier for Kagome, one less thing for her to do while she should be studying for exams. She hoped she got the right size. It had been somewhat difficult guessing from sight alone but oh well. If they were too small she could always take them back.

She wondered how Souta was doing. She had noticed him giving her odd looks lately but it was really her fault. She had been unable to rein in her happiness that her daughter was in love and her hope that she would see her husband once more. He was definitely going to be upset when she told him but she had decided that he didn't need to know his father was really alive until she was sure he could come home to them. If she told him and then something happened and he couldn't pass through the well or something similar then it would be like Souta lost him again. He didn't need to have his father dangled before him only to be pulled away at the last second. No, she would wait until she was sure her husband could and would return. She had already told her decision to her father and would tell Kagome as soon as they arrived.

Hiromi finally carried the last bag inside and sat at the dining room table to look through her purchases. While she sorted them into piles she thought about her husband. Did he still think of her? Did he still love her? He had promised, as he was leaving, that he would never stop loving her but she still worried. She had never given up hope, though, and she refused to do so now. He still loved her just as she loved him. She had kept him close to her heart with the help of the crystal. She knew how he had aged slightly over the years. A little gray hair here, a new wrinkle there, but all in all he still looked like the man she had fallen in love with all those years ago. He had looked so happy recently when she checked on him. She had even caught him looking at the picture he had taken with him, the only thing he took with him. It warmed her heart to know that he was thinking of them and she couldn't wait to finally lay eyes on him without the help of magic. What she wouldn't give to have his arms wrapped around her once more, making her feel so happy, secure, and loved. Only he had been able to make the world seem perfect in her eyes. A world without him was flawed, and she hoped it would soon be perfect once again.

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Inuyasha was thinking. It was a lot harder than he had expected it to be to find the perfect word for his brother. He really wanted to be the one to come up with it though. That would make watching it all the better knowing that he had a part in it. Sure, he was okay with Sesshoumaru now but that didn't keep him from being quite entertained at the whole idea. Sesshoumaru had seen Kagome 'sit' him multiple times and he always saw a bit of humor in his eyes, even though he tried to hide it. Now he had a chance to even the playing field a bit. But the word, it was hard! Obviously sit would be out of the question unless he wanted to crash into the ground every time Kagome was saying the word for his brother. No, definitely not the same word. Kagome had been right about heel. It seemed like a good option except the beads probably wouldn't know the difference between heel and heal and the group ended up wounded enough that it could definitely become an issue. Stay was probably too common also. He was at a loss as to what to recommend.

Kagome looked like she was reading but her mind was still throwing suggestions out for the perfect word. Suddenly she was struck by an idea. She slammed her textbook closed, making Inuyasha jump, before she stood and started to walk away.

"Where in the hell do you think you're going, wench?"

Kagome sighed softly. "I'm going to see Kaede. I have to ask her something."

"Well then I'm comin' with ya. He'd kill me if I let you go alone you know."

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

"So what is it you want to ask the old hag?"

"Inuyasha! Be nice! Don't call her that! And you'll just have to wait until we get there." She let out a startled yelp when she suddenly found herself tossed on her hanyou's back. Apparently he wasn't very patient, but then she already knew that. He skidded to a stop outside of Kaede's hut and lowered her to the ground. "Damn it, Inuyasha! You could have at least warned me before you did that!"

"It got ya here, didn't it?" His face held a smirk. It was kinda fun to make her yelp. With the weight of all his stress off his shoulders for the time being he felt rather playful.

"Sure, I'm here, but I think I had a small heart attack along the way!"

"At least it wasn't a big one," he teased.

"Oh just shut up and come on." Inuyasha pushed through the bamboo curtain that served as a door, holding it open so Kagome could pass. She smiled at Kaede who sat tying herbs into bundles to hang from her ceiling to dry. "Hey Kaede, I have something to ask you." Inuyasha sat in quiet surprise as Kagome posed her question to the elder miko. He eagerly awaited her answer, more so than Kagome even, hoping that it was possible. It certainly would make his life a little bit easier.

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Once the boys had all finished washing they dried and dressed before gathering their dirty clothes and the bathing supplies and returning to camp. Sango looked up from her task. They had perfect timing. She had just finished polishing her weapon and luckily she found no cracks or other signs of damage. She called for Rin's attention and the two gathered their things and went to take their turn in the spring. Sesshoumaru looked around the camp before asking Jaken where Kagome and his brother were. The toad pointed in the direction of the clearing where the children usually played and Sesshoumaru, followed by the boys, went to check on her. When he got there, however, she and his brother were nowhere to be found, though her blanket and books remained. Sniffing the air he noticed their scents headed towards the village. He directed Isamu and Yuudai to sit under a tree near the one he had claimed to sit against and watched as the rest of the boys began to play. He was sure she was fine. Inuyasha could protect her and the mark let him know that all was well. Kagome would return soon.

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Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay. I haven't written for a couple of days. I know, I need to get my ass on task, right? Since it's the Christmas season I know I won't be able to get back to the chapter a day routine. Too much decorating and wrapping to do. At least there's just minimal shopping. Have to get the in-laws (parents and 2 sisters) and my mother's parents. We always have a family thing usually on Christmas eve or close, depending on when they can get time off. David's parents, sisters, and the whole mess of kids come up to exchange gifts, etc. We used to live closer, like maybe ten minutes, but the house we had built is more like an hour away now. Mom wanted to be out in the middle of nowhere as much as possible, which is nice but irritating to have to drive so long to get my oldest nephew. He likes to stay here over breaks. Gets away from his annoying little sisters and I let him play on the computer or xbox all day so of course I'm more fun.

Anyway, there was a point to that before I went off on a tangent. I'll do my best to get up at least two a week, maybe three. Oh, and the next chapter is 'To Subjugate a Demon Lord', the one you've all been waiting for! I may also be updating the early chapters, just little typos and the new section breaks. I will be taking off the reviewer responses at the bottom of the old chapters so if you want to keep those save the chapters to your computer. I figure new readers don't really care too much about what I said to everyone else and my regular readers would have already read them. This way it's neater and the word count is more accurate.

**Questions for you all. Should I do limes/lemons with Miroku/Sango or just Kag/Sess? **

**And reviewers on do you want me to put my responses in the chapter like I do for the other sites or would you prefer I use the respond feature on the site?**

**I just read a story where Kagome was pretending to be a guy at school (AU) and Sesshoumaru was starting to question if he was gay because he was attracted to him/her. Now I want to read more like that. Please, give me titles! I tried searching but none of the terms I used really came up with anything. Complete is preferred but in progress is okay if it hasn't been abandoned. Thanks in advance. It's driving me nuts!**

**And one more. I was thinking, Destiny really loves to get mail but we don't have a lot of people who send us Christmas cards. She's working on her writing so I was wondering if you guys would send us Christmas cards and we would send ones back? I know she would be thrilled to get mail and she is always writing pretend letters to people. I dunno, thought maybe it would be fun. If you want to, email me and I'll send you our address. If enough of you are interested then I'll stick it down here in the notes. **

Reviewer Responses – Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I appreciate you taking the time. It helps me when I'm writing to hear your thoughts and questions.

**A Single Spark – **

Iloveprettysilverhair – I've promised that Inuyasha will find someone but I doubt it's coming up soon. Miroku/Sango will be soon.

Kagome-chan – Sango/Miroku is close! I've actually already written it. Yeah, Myouga gave you just enough to piss you off, huh? I'm a pain.

Ginrei – Should I recommend brushing after reading to prevent cavities? I'm going to be sending out your check soon. I'll let you know when.

Sarah – That's what I was trying for. I'm rolling all my favorite elements into one story since I couldn't find one that had them all. Glad you like it!

Michelle – I hope your birthday was great! I'm pretty much okay now. Still living on Sudafed but other than that I'm as back to normal as possible.

Arryelle – I was wondering where you were! It was nice to get most all of the shopping done but it was exhausting at the same time. Way too much shopping at once for me. Not a big shopper. Kouga shows up soon here. Not too much longer to wait. I need a poke or something though to get me started again. Just not feeling it right now which is so annoying because usually it just rolls right out. I should be excited. I'm to the time in the future part so there will be new stuff. I was looking forward to it and now I can't focus. Not sure how to jump start myself.

G – Glad you liked the preview of the new chapters (Lucky reader, watch out for flying fruit) and thanks for the input. I'll have to work on the pups thing and the other thing you asked about, it does both and maybe more. Ha! Now everyone's going to be trying to figure out what the hell I'm talking about.

Sessy+me+darcyyum – Never read it but I get it anyway. I always find it interesting how people chose their user names. I'm probably going to go with bathing suit on. Don't worry, he's still territorial but to outsiders. Pack is different so Inuyasha isn't a threat, at least in my little world. I loved writing the bra scene. Too much fun. Oh, and your three things your looking forward to, number 3 is closing in!

Kawaii-kilala – If I tell you what you're right about then I'll be giving away one of the secrets! Shhh! I never got to meet my father's parents since they died like five years before I was born. It's interesting. I feel bad that I never met them but I think its also less painful because I didn't know them to lose them. Does that make any sense? My moms parents are getting old, and I see Gramps getting weaker and I know I won't handle that well at all when he dies. I've only had three people die in my family, my great grandma, her sister, and her brother. That was hard enough. Wish people didn't die, ya know? I've got the first eragon book, not sure about the second. We might have it. I haven't read either. Mom has. Haven't seen the movie either but I will do both if I ever find the time.

Lady-myth – Definitely hard to get going again. Really annoying me too! Thanks for the - 

Child-of-the-moon – I know what you mean about finding time. Life gets in the way of my fun all the time. Sometimes wish I could live in the little world in my mind, especially when the kid is getting on my last nerve which she's been doing a lot lately. Actually threw her first tantrum a few days ago.

Little Rini – Sorry to hear your having all that trouble finding a new job. My husband is working himself to death with overtime but he gets a whole week paid for Christmas so he'll have a while to chill afterwards. My mom is worried about her job since she's been missing so much work lately being sick. I definitely wish you luck and I'm glad I can cheer you – 

Sandra – I know. The site being down is annoying. But they're working on it so at least we know it should get better. I need to start reading the manga. I've got a couple but they cost too much to get as many as I would want. A little at a time I guess.

Sugar – No idea how long it'll be. I'm still in shock at how long it already is. I guess I'll just keep going until the end, whenever that'll be.

Satsuki – Don't feel bad. I laughed at him too once I got done being cranky.

Iloveprettysilverhair – you get two responses! I'm glad you think I'm doing good on keeping Sesshoumaru Sesshoumaru even though he's different too. And I know what you mean about my opinion being important. It's the same with me. When someone I've read and enjoyed compliments my story it means even more than normal because I know how good they are so for them to think I'm good, you know? I can't figure out quite how to phrase that!

Chibi strawberry – Glad you liked the snuggle. I love the dog piles.

Hitsugayaloveralways – Glad you like how Sess is and thanks for the compliment!

Dreamer1010 – The word choice is in the next chapter. Kagome will mark him eventually, when the time is right.

Ingi-doo – Glad you liked it enough to read straight through. I do that all the time. Glad you're enjoying it so far!

And I'm done!


	54. To Subjugate a Demon Lord

**Chapter 54 – To Subjugate a Demon Lord**

Kaede had been a huge help and since Inuyasha was with her they were able to test her theory. It worked. So now Kagome knew what she would use to activate the necklace. Inuyasha was extremely happy about it. It was much less likely now that she would accidentally say the word that sent him to the ground. It was those accidental ones that hurt the most because he didn't see them coming and couldn't brace himself for the upcoming splat. Now that it was settled Kagome and Inuyasha returned to her chosen study spot only to find Sesshoumaru and the kids already present. Kagome smiled at the taiyoukai as she passed and sat back on her blanket to once more attempt to study. Inuyasha stopped beside his brother and sat.

"Sesshoumaru, there's something I wanted to ask you."

The elder brother turned his head slightly to observe the younger with slight interest. "Yes?"

"Well, you see, I was watching the boys train and… well… I… do you train them yourself?"

"Yes, though that was not your question. Ask what you intended."

"Would you be willing to… I don't know… teach me too?" he asked softly while looking away.

"Are you afraid this Sesshoumaru would tell you no?" Taking in Inuyasha's expression he had his answer. "I see. You know how to fight, Inuyasha."

"Yeah, but I was hoping you could show me the proper technique. I really don't know what I'm doing. You've said so yourself." He looked away again, ashamed to admit it to his older brother who he had fought against so many times in the past. "And I don't know if I will have powers like you and the pups do now that I can access my full demon power. I wouldn't even know how to begin to try to find out."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "This Sesshoumaru will teach you proper fighting technique, with and without your sword. We will have to experiment to determine if you have gained additional powers or attacks." He could see the happiness glimmer in Inuyasha's eyes even if he didn't let it show too much on the outside. Now he could train the hanyou properly, like he had intended. Sure, Inuyasha was strong. He was a powerful fighter already, but he wasted a great deal of energy on wild swings. His techniques needed to be honed so that he was an efficient fighter. Doing so would also teach him to better guard against attackers. He left himself open far too often.

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Sango and Rin didn't waste too much time in the spring. Rin wanted to play with her brothers and Sango was hoping to get a chance to talk to Kagome without Miroku around to hear. When they returned to camp Jaken took Rin's dirty clothes from the girl and stuffed them into one of Ah Un's saddle bags before taking off in the direction of the Palace Moon. Miroku was sitting perfectly still besides his breathing. He appeared to be meditating so Sango took Rin with her to where she guessed the others were. When she spotted her brothers Rin took off, running to join in their games. Sango claimed a seat beside Kagome on the blanket she had laid out.

"Kagome, can I talk to you?"

Kagome looked up at her friend and sister before marking her page in her book, closing it and setting it aside. "Sure Sango. What's up?" Kagome had her suspicions and they were soon confirmed as Sango started to talk.

"What did you and Miroku talk about last night while you walked?"

"He asked my opinion and advice on something. Why?"

"Well, I probably should have told you before I did it but Kirara told me some interesting things. Apparently Miroku confides in her. He told her about his feelings for me. She said he said he loves me. He's afraid I'll end up hurt if we get together because he's afraid the wind tunnel will kill him." She watched as Kagome nodded. "I was trying to get him to tell me without telling him I knew."

"You definitely succeeded in confusing him. He was worried about why you were thinking so much about death."

"What did you tell him?"

"That he should tell you how he feels. Kazue told me what Kirara had told you and what you were trying to do. He wants to tell you but he's still afraid to. I think he's trying to figure out how to say it. He's fine, just doing a lot of thinking."

"The monk approached this Sesshoumaru for advice as well." Kagome and Sango both turned their heads quickly to where Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha sat a short distance away.

"He asked you for advice?" Kagome asked with laughter in her voice.

"Yes. Why do you find that entertaining?"

"Oh, no reason. So what did you tell him?"

He frowned at her amusement. What was so funny about the monk asking for his advice? Did she not believe he would be of assistance? Was he that bad? Shaking the worry from his mind he answered. "I told him that if the slayer is trying to get him to convince his feelings it is most likely that she feels the same. I told him he had nothing to fear and to merely be honest with her. This Sesshoumaru also suggested he keep his hands to himself while doing so."

Kagome smiled at him. "That's good advice, especially the hands." She turned then to look at Sango. "So you just need to be patient until he works up his courage or tell him how you feel first." Sango's face flushed red. Did everyone know about their feelings but each other?

"Th… thank you. I… I'm going to start lunch." Without another word the slayer jumped to her feet and nearly ran back to camp.

Sesshoumaru chuckled and it didn't take long for Inuyasha to join in. Kagome scowled at them both. "Don't laugh at her. It's hard to tell someone how you feel about them for the first time."

"Is that so?" Sesshoumaru asked with a raised brow.

"Well, did you tell me you loved me the first time you felt it or did you worry about saying it at the right time, not too soon, not too late, and should we be alone or in front of the others, and do you just come out and say it or hint first?" He didn't answer, merely looking at her, confirming her suspicions. "Exactly! So don't laugh at them." Inuyasha, however, was still chuckling softly. "Inuyasha! What do you find so funny?"

He smirked at her. "Just wondering who you think you are to talk, after what you said a little while ago."

"What are you talking about?"

"What you said when I said I would support your decision to be with him, about how you are glad you don't have to choose because you love me but…"

He had never seen her move quite so fast. Sesshoumaru watched as her eyes widened as she realized just what it was Inuyasha was going to say. In seconds she had flown across the short distance between them and clapped her hand tightly over Inuyasha's mouth. The hanyou looked just as surprised as Sesshoumaru felt. What in the world could he have been about to say that she had found it necessary to stop him in such a way?

"Inuyasha, I swear to the Kamis if you say what you were about to say I will say 'it' until you find evidence of dinosaurs!" she hissed at him. His eyes widened and he nodded his head rapidly. She wasn't kidding around. He had never heard her quite so serious before. He glanced at his brother who looked to be somewhere between surprised and curious.

"My, my, Kagome. What could you be so desperate to hide from me?" Her head jerked to meet his eyes. Looking around she pulled her hand slowly from Inuyasha's mouth, finally having realized just what she had done and how it must have looked.

"Nothing… nothing. I'm not trying to hide anything. He was going to say something… I… not yet." She was shaking her head, looking slightly confused.

Inuyasha smirked at her. "If you could say it to me you should be able to say it to him. Besides, you said that you are 'starting to think', nothing definite. It shouldn't be too hard." He stopped talking once again when he heard her growl. "Damn, Kagome. Where in the hell did you learn to growl like that?"

"**That** is not important right now. What **is** important is that you shut up before I ensure you do not speak again for **quite some time**."

"What is it that you can say to my little brother that you cannot say to this Sesshoumaru?" He watched as another growl rumbled in her throat. "You wish to keep a secret from me?"

She was getting really frustrated now. Damn Inuyasha! "No! That's not it. It's not that I can say it to him but not to you. I'm just not ready to say it, okay?" She watched as his brow lifted once more. "Fine, damn it! I think I might really love you! Happy now?" Sesshoumaru's eyes widened visibly. She loved him back? Sure, she had said she was beginning to feel the same way as he did but she actually said the word this time. It wasn't a definite but just the idea made his heart swell. He realized then, though, that she was pissed, really pissed. He shouldn't have pushed her, but then he hadn't known what it was until now. If he had he would never been so insistent.

He reached to the side and pulled her from where she still leaned over his brother and into his lap. "Kagome, this Sesshoumaru is sorry. I should not have pressured you to tell me." She buried her face in his shoulder, hiding her blush. Whether it was from anger or embarrassment he didn't know. "Kagome, you know how I feel. You know I will wait until you are ready. If you wish I will pretend I did not hear you just now."

She giggled into mokomoko. "As nice as that would be I guess it's kinda silly. I don't know why I was afraid to say it. It's true. I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you." She slowly pulled back to meet his eyes. Inuyasha knew when to get away and he snuck off silently, keeping an eye on the kids since he was pretty sure they would be far too distracted to do so.

When Kagome's ocean blue eyes met the swirling molten gold of Sesshoumaru's they both froze as they stared at each other. He could see the honesty in her eyes. She really did love him. A small smile formed on his lips before he pulled her in for a kiss. It started soft and slow but grew more and more passionate. Her hands were buried in his hair, holding his face close to hers while his hand rested on her left hip. When they finally pulled back for air he trailed kisses across her cheek to her ear. "This Sesshoumaru loves you as well," he whispered, blowing teasingly in her ear and causing shivers to spread through her entire body. They sat in silence for several minutes, each fully enthralled with the other. Eventually, though, he pulled away. "You should be studying."

She shook her head. "There's no point. Every time I try something comes up. There are just too many distractions."

"Perhaps you should return to your time earlier than planned so there will be fewer distractions."

"You're actually telling me to be gone longer?"

"This Sesshoumaru will be accompanying you."

"Well aren't you full of yourself. We don't even know if the beads will work and you have already decided."

"If they do not work I will think of something else. I **will** accompany you."

She merely laughed at his determination. It was sweet, really. "Well, I figured out what to use. Kaede helped me. Do you have the necklace and the scroll?" He nodded before retrieving them. "We need to stand up to do this, okay?" They stood together and Kagome unrolled the scroll to read over it, remembering the slight change Kaede had instructed. She took the beads in her hands and he lowered his head so she could place them around his neck. As she said the short spell the beads started to glow. It looked as if two strands of light, one pink and one green, were twisting around the necklace and she knew that it was ready. She looked into his eyes and said the chosen words. "Down boy!"

He wasn't sure what would happen when she did it. He didn't know if he would be flattened to the ground or if he wouldn't be affected at all or anywhere in between. He was actually rather relieved when he felt the pull of magic that forced him to drop to his knees. Not only was he thrilled that they worked but also that he wasn't face down in the dirt. He waited silently for the magic to let up but it didn't seem to want to. He looked up at her and saw the confusion in her eyes. "How long does the spell hold Inuyasha?"

"Not this long," she said softly.

She walked closer until she was within his reach and he pulled her so that she stood directly before him. He rested his head on her stomach with a sigh and she placed a hand on his head, smoothing his silver bangs. Instantly he felt the magic release him. Was it possible that she had to release him from the spell? "It let go right when your hand touched my head," he said before standing. "Try it again."

She nodded and said the words once again. "Down boy!"

Once more he dropped to his knees. "We will wait and see if it will release me after a few minutes and if it does not then I want you to come close again. We need to figure out what exactly causes the spell to release." She nodded and they both waited for several minutes. Nothing happened. The magic was still holding his knees to the ground. "Come here." She nodded and stepped close. "Do not move your hand yet," he said as he rested his head against her stomach once again. Nothing happened. He pulled his head back from her. "Put your hand on my head like you did before." She did as she was asked but nothing happened. With her hand still on his head he touched it to her stomach once more and he was instantly released. "It will only release me if I rest my head on you and you lay your hand on my head."

She watched as he stood before her. "That's weird. I don't have to do anything for Inuyasha's to let go."

"You chose two words?"

"Yeah. They won't work unless I say both. I had Kaede help me change Inuyasha's too so there aren't any more accidents. We should go see her and see if she knows why it's like this." He nodded his agreement and they began to walk away.

Sesshoumaru stopped for a moment beside his brother who had been watching with interest. "Keep close watch of the children," he ordered and the younger brother nodded.

"You got off lucky! Why doesn't he get slammed into the ground too?" Inuyasha asked with a pout.

"I don't know but it doesn't automatically let him go like yours does. We're going to talk to Kaede. Sango's making lunch so will you take the kids to camp in a bit to eat?" He nodded again. "Thanks Inuyasha."

The hanyou watched them walk towards the village, his mind running the scene of his brother being forced to his knees before a human woman over and over again as if it were stuck in a permanent loop. Definitely something he was glad he didn't miss.

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Sango really was making lunch but she had said she needed to do so to get away from the others. It was really embarrassing for everyone to know about your feelings for someone else except them! She couldn't believe that Miroku actually asked Sesshoumaru for advice! She smiled slightly at the thought. He was nervous. She thought it was cute that Miroku didn't know how to just come out and say it. She hoped he would figure it out soon because she was getting really impatient now. She wanted to hear him say he loves her. She wanted him to kiss her. She wanted to know for sure that he wanted to be with her. Lunch was almost ready when she noticed Miroku reentering the clearing. She hadn't seen him since he left the clearing to bathe and apparently talk to Sesshoumaru. They hadn't crossed paths as she and Rin took their turn in the spring.

"Is everything alright, Miroku? You were gone for a long time."

He looked surprised when she spoke before looking away, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "I decided to take a walk after my bath. I had some things to think about."

"Oh? And did you figure everything out?" she asked, trying her best to sound only innocently curious.

He shot her a smirk which only widened as she blushed. "I know what you're trying to do Sango."

"What? I… I have no idea what you're talking about!" She rose and backed up a few steps. She took a few more when she saw him step forward.

"Where are you going my dear Sango?" He waggled his eyebrows at her as he succeeded in backing her into a tree. He caged her in by leaning against the tree, his palms on either side of her arms. "Nowhere to go now," he said softly. "I guess you'll just have to listen. So what gave me away? How did you figure it out?"

"Figure what out?" She knew exactly what he was asking her but she refused to give in.

"What I want to know more than anything is why you want me to confess first. You could have told me instead of trying to manipulate me into telling you."

"Tell you what? Miroku, you're not making any sense."

He leaned his head in, touching their foreheads together. "I'm making perfect sense and you know it. But if you insist on playing innocent I guess I'll just have to fill you in then. Sango my dear, I am in love with you. When all is said and done I want you to become my wife. You are the only woman for me. And you knew this already somehow. Did Kagome tell you? She seemed surprised when I asked her about it."

Sango stood in complete silence for a minute before regaining her voice. "No, Kagome didn't tell me. If you really love me then why do you flirt with every woman you come across?"

"I believe you already know the answer to that question as well but I will humor you. I was attempting to keep my feelings for you hidden so that you would not have to suffer the loss of another when my wind tunnel takes my life."

Sango looked up into his eyes before slipping her arms up above his to wrap around his neck. "You're not going to die. And even if you do I would cherish every minute we spent together. If I were to say that I loved you as well would you continue to flirt with other women or would you be loyal to me?"

"You are the only woman for me my beautiful Sango."

"Then I love you too, Miroku." She would have said more but she was cut off when his lips met her own. It was gentle, soft, and sweet and it was also her first. As he pulled away reluctantly she knew she would never forget it. They continued to gaze into each other's eyes as if they suddenly had a new understanding of each other, which in fact they did.

Their private moment was interrupted by someone clearing their throat in an annoying fashion. "Why is it always me that finds people kissing?" Inuyasha asked aloud, appearing to be speaking to the very air around him.

Miroku turned and took in the sight of Inuyasha and all the children. "Perhaps it has something to do with your timing," Miroku joked. "I take it everyone is hungry?"

Sango had finally managed to get the embarrassed blush under control and she stepped out from behind the monk. "Okay. Everyone grab a bowl and chopsticks and I'll dish out our lunch." She tried to keep her eyes aimed at the ground or the food but when her eyes met Inuyasha's for a second she blushed again at the smirk on his face.

"It's about damn time is all I have to say about it," the hanyou declared before stuffing his face, barely taking breaks to breathe.

"Yeah! I wondered if you were ever gonna tell her, Miroku! Maybe now she won't slap you when you touch her butt!" Shippo called out a tad louder than necessary.

"Like he could get so lucky," Inuyasha said under his breath, not that it mattered. Everyone heard him since he was sitting right beside his friends.

Miroku looked up towards Sango with a hopeful look in his eyes.

"Sorry Miroku but he's right. Just because I love you doesn't give you the right to grope me."

"Oh well. It was worth a shot," he said, faking a dejected look while amusement danced in his eyes.

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As they walked away from Inuyasha and towards Kaede Sesshoumaru reached out and took hold of Kagome's hand. Their fingers twined together automatically and he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "It was not as bad as this Sesshoumaru had been prepared for."

She giggled and glanced up at his face. "I'll bet. If I were you I would be thanking every Kami I could think of that you didn't get face-planted. I was wondering if it would be the same or not." He nodded his agreement. "It's odd though that it doesn't let you up. I wonder if it has to do with the word choice or if it's just you."

"This Sesshoumaru does not know. Perhaps the elder miko will have an explanation."

Kaede wasn't surprised to see the couple as they entered her hut. They told her what happened and then did a demonstration. "I know not what to tell ye. I suspect the addition of Lord Sesshoumaru's hair to strengthen the spell has somehow altered it as well. It is possible that there may be other differences for ye to discover."

"You mean it might do other things too?"

"Would the spell not be complete once she selected the word?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"The spell uses power from ye both. I am certain of it by the colors you described when you placed the spell. Thusly it is different from Inuyasha's and any other I have ever heard tell of. Never before that I know of has a demon willingly contributed to their own subjugation. Because of this there may be surprises we know nothing of yet."

"Gee, that's just great. So we could be in the middle of a fight and something I say might make him freeze or something? That can't be good!"

"Your conscious thought directs the spell. It is still under your control. I do not believe it would act against your wishes or place him in danger."

"I guess, but still. I wonder if there is a word that will release him as well just in case."

"It is possible. Your powers will guide you."

"You mean like I'll just know what I can do? Like with that miko?"

"What miko do you speak of?" Kaede looked confused.

"Oh, I didn't tell you about it!" For the next few minutes Kagome told Kaede all about the snake demons, her dream of Izayoi and Inuyasha's change, and the miko who had dared attack her pups. By the time she was finished Kagome noticed something odd. Sesshoumaru hadn't said anything for quite a while. She had expected him to help her tell Kaede their story but he had remained silent all this time. He hadn't even moved. She turned and looked at him. "Are you alright Sesshoumaru?"

'This Sesshoumaru cannot move.'

"You can't move? When did it happen?"

'I believe it occurred when you said the word freeze.'

"Oh, Kami. Apparently 'freeze' is another command. He hasn't been able to move since I said it. How do I undo it?"

"Calm yourself, Kagome dear. Close your eyes and attempt to feel the connection forged between you by the spell. Once you have found it, focus on your question. I am certain it will come to you."

Kagome sighed but obeyed. It was hard to calm down but she managed. Once she had found the connection she asked for the way to release him. The answer floated into her mind as if it had always been there. "My love," she said with a blush on her cheeks. She watched as his body relaxed and he could move once more.

"That is the word to release me?" he asked with a smirk on his lips.

"Yes it is. Stand up for me. I want to test something." He looked at her in question but rose to his feet. "Down boy!" He dropped to his knees once more. "My love," she said and smiled when he could stand up. "That's good. I was afraid that something bad might happen if I couldn't get to you for some reason to release you. This way I can do it from anywhere."

He nodded his agreement. "This Sesshoumaru prefers the first way, though I do enjoy the sound of those words on your lips."

She smiled at him. "I suppose you would like to test the well now?" She watched his face as he smirked. "Of course you do. Thanks Kaede. We'll figure it out."

"Yes, ye will. Take care child." Kagome gave the old woman a hug before she and Sesshoumaru left the hut and started on their way to the well.

"Okay, if you can pass through the well you have to promise me a few things."

"Yes?"

"You have to promise to listen to me. Don't jump to conclusions. A lot of things are different in my time. If you don't understand something, ask me. If were around people other than my family, ask me silently so you don't draw attention to yourself. No fighting and definitely no killing. You will have to stay at my house while I go to school for my exams. You can't wander around without me. And if we go anywhere out of the house you'll have to wear clothes from my time. I'll have to find you some."

He appeared to consider her words before answering. "This Sesshoumaru agrees to your terms. I understand that I will be in your world so I will do as you ask. I see you have been thinking about this."

"Yeah, I was talking to Inuyasha about it. You'll have to leave your swords in the house too." They had arrived at the clearing that held the well as she spoke. "I guess you should just jump in and see if it works. If it does, jump right back in and come back. You'll know it worked because there is a building around the well in my time."

He nodded at her. "This Sesshoumaru will return immediately. I do not wish to see your time without you."

She leaned in and pressed her lips softly to his. "A kiss for luck." He smirked at her before jumping into the well.

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Author's Notes:

Thanks to everyone who has agreed to send a Christmas card for my daughter. I know that she is going to be absolutely thrilled! We'll be sure to send one back too, which I know she will have fun signing. For anyone else who hasn't gotten my address yet it is below.

Christina and Destiny Myers

2182 Beech Blvd.

Bunnell, FL 32110

I doubt I will get another chapter up for a few days. We've got all the decoration tubs out and stacked in the living room and I have to put them all up so we can have the room back. The tree we got on Sunday is still sitting naked.

I made a myspace page and a facebook as well. If you want to check them out the web addresses are below. Just take out the spaces.

http:// www . myspace . com / sunsetmiko

http:// www . facebook . com/ profile .php?id817972496

I can't get A Single Spark to load so I can't write my reviewer responses. I'll stick them on the next chapter. I'll upload this chapter when I can get the site to load again.

Reviewer responses: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I appreciate you take taking the time! There are only a couple of responses but know I do appreciate each and every one of Siren – Cross Dressing Mess is still in progress but yes, I'm reading that one too. The one I read was called Different Yet So Alike by Cold-Hearted Nightfox on You are too good, guessing the two word thing. – Thanks for the compliments. I think I'm going to do at least one Sango/Miroku lemon and if people don't want to read that pairing they can skip it. Some people aren't interested in reading anything but the Sess/Kag but it wouldn't be my style to skip over something. There will be tons of Sess/Kag once I get there.

ItY'girl – I've decided I agree and will do at least one Mir/San. For mmore detail see response above.


	55. Down tWell& Back Again, I Don't Do Cute

**Chapter 55 – Down the Well and Back Again, I Don't Do Cute**

Kagome smiled as she saw the bright blue flare of magic coming from the well at her side. It worked. The beads had made it possible for him to pass through the well.

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He had felt the magic surge up against him as his body felt like it was floating, weightless. Just a few more seconds of the bright blue light and he found himself standing at the bottom of the well. It was dark, he noticed. Looking up he could see slivers of light slipping between the boards of wood that made up the roof of the small structure built around the well. He jumped up and out of the well and looked around for a minute. There was nothing at all of interest in the well house, he noted as he took in the sight of a few stairs leading to where there appeared to be a door. Deciding she would be getting upset if he didn't return right away he moved back to the side of the old well and jumped in. He once again experienced the sensation of floating before landing on dirt once more. He looked up, this time finding a bright blue sky with a few puffy white clouds. A shadow fell over the opening at the top of the vertical passage he stood at the bottom of. Yes, he was definitely back. Kagome smiled down at him before moving her head so that he could exit the well.

"I see it worked," she said with a grin.

"Yes, it most definitely did so. Now that we know it is possible we should consider leaving early so you have more time to study in a more appropriate environment with fewer distractions."

She took in his expression. He was dead serious. "Fine with me. Inuyasha already said he and the others could handle the kids."

"I will speak with him about the children. They need to continue their training and work on their use of your powers as well."

"Maybe Kaede can help them. I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

"We will leave in the morning. Jaken should have returned by then so I will know if there is anything in need of my immediate attention. This will also give me time to discuss the care of the children and how to handle Jaken as well. It is his rightful place as beta to take over when the alpha is unavailable."

"I'm sure he'll do fine. And we'll tell the kids to behave. If they don't cause any trouble maybe I'll bring them something new from my time."

"This Sesshoumaru is sure they would be quite excited at the possibility." They had been walking as they talked and had finally made it back to their clearing. Everyone was gathered there except Jaken and Ah Un who were still away on their errand. Sesshoumaru nodded for her to tell the others their decision.

"Hey guys. I know I wasn't going to leave for a few more days but I'm having a hard time studying here so Sesshoumaru recommended that I go home early so I can do so." There were a few groans among the children but Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku nodded their agreement. Kagome smirked as she noticed how close the monk and slayer were sitting. "We're going to leave in the morning." 

"We?" Akihiro asked.

"This Sesshoumaru is going to accompany her."

"I thought you couldn't pass through the well," Yoshi said, rather confused.

"The issue has been solved. I can now pass through. We just tested such. Inuyasha will be in charge while we are gone. I will discuss with you the care of the children and other important details, brother." Inuyasha nodded and Kagome sat down at the hanyou's side, thanking Sango for the bowl she passed her. They ate in silence and when everyone had finished Miroku volunteered to help Sango clean the dishes in the stream. Inuyasha rose and walked towards the edge of the clearing with Sesshoumaru so they could further discuss what he needed to know to be in charge during their absence.

Kagome began arranging her things, sorting the supplies so the others could easily find what they were looking for while checking to see if anything needed replenished. Of course the ramen did. The ramen supply always needed to be replenished. She gathered all her school books together and placed them in her emptied out yellow backpack. She selected the few other things she would need to take home with her and placed them in the bag as well. The children surrounded her as she packed and she spoke with them while she did.

"Your father and I need you to be good for Inuyasha and the others while we are gone, okay? No tricks and yes that means you Shippo." The little kitsune grumbled but agreed. "You need to work on your training and practice your holy powers too. Inuyasha might take you to see Kaede. She probably could teach you a lot better than I can. No wandering off. Everyone stays with the pack. Just do as you are asked and everything will be fine. If there is an emergency Inuyasha can pass through the well to get us. If you're good I might bring you all something special from my time, alright?" The kids seemed to perk up at that. They didn't like the idea of her leaving them at all, even if it was only for a week, maybe a week and a half now. That was a long time to be separated from the mother they just got. She noticed their hesitant and worried looks even though they were semi-hidden under the excitement at the prospect of gifts from the future. "Try not to think about it as me leaving you. Once my exams are over with I will be able to stay with you for longer periods of time. We're just getting this out of the way. I promise to come back to you, okay?" They nodded, but Hisoka looked close to tears. Kagome leaned forward and pulled him into her arms. "I would never leave you. I know that it will be uncomfortable with the marks cut off but you just have to remember that I'll be back soon and I love you all." Kagome was near tears herself. She had never imagined it would be so hard to leave them, even if it was just for a short time. She would never be able to leave them permanently to stay in her own time. She had never been more certain than at this very moment that she belonged in the feudal era. It was her true home.

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Sango was suspicious as to why Miroku volunteered to help with the dishes. All through lunch she had been thinking about that kiss. It was so soft and tender but it was too short. Maybe he would kiss her again? She blushed at the thought, nervous. She had no idea how to kiss. She didn't want to make a fool of herself. It was rather obvious that Miroku had experience. What would he do if she kissed absolutely terribly? Would he change his mind?

Miroku glanced at Sango as they reached the edge of the stream. She was blushing and looked incredibly nervous. He had decided to offer to help in hopes of having a few more minutes of privacy with her, hopefully without anyone interrupting! "Sango? Are you alright?" She turned and looked at him. He saw the look in her eyes. She looked damn near terrified. "What's wrong, Sango my love?" Sango shook her head and moved to start rinsing the dishes. She refused to make eye contact with him again. He didn't like the way she looked afraid. What was she afraid of? He reached for her hands and turned her to face him. "Sango?" She cast her eyes at the ground. He released one of her hands and lifted her chin gently. She looked so beautiful, afraid but gorgeous. He couldn't help himself and he leaned in to kiss her once more. The hand that had held her chin moved to her cheek and his other hand wrapped in her hair. He started slowly but every second her lips touched his drove him on. He tilted his head slightly and deepened the kiss. She felt his tongue brush against her bottom lip. The sensation was incredible and she gasped, giving him the entrance he had been seeking. It took a few tries but he managed to encourage her tongue to join in the game. They finally broke apart, breathing heavily. Miroku was filled with male pride as he looked at her flushed face, her puffy lips, and a look in her eyes that clearly said 'Wow!' "We should finish the dishes and get back to camp, don't you think Sango dear?" She nodded, still in an obvious daze. He took over for her and finished washing the lunch dishes while she sat staring into space.

Sango was off in daydream-land as she thought about the kiss over and over again. It was better than she had ever imagined. She had never imagined a kiss could feel like that. For a while she had been resigned to never being kissed at all but now that all changed. She knew Miroku accepted her strength and independence like no normal man of her time would. He would never expect her to be a submissive little housewife. They had fought together side by side, depended on each other, trusted each other, and they would again. They would be partners in marriage just as they were partners in battle. Her future had not looked so bright in years, since her village was destroyed. Now she had so much to look forward to, so much to fight for and so did he. Naraku would never know what hit him.

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Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru sat in silence for a few minutes, watching Kagome and the children. Sesshoumaru felt slightly guilty. He was taking her away from them. Even though she would have been going anyway he was going with her which would only make the separation more difficult. He was looking forward to the time alone with her, as well as learning about her time, while his children would be suffering, missing their mother's presence. Inuyasha was going to have to keep them busy. Maybe if they were occupied they wouldn't spend as much time focusing on missing her. Hopefully it would help the time pass faster.

"Inuyasha, the children are going to miss her presence. This Sesshoumaru is trusting you to keep them distracted as much as possible. The pups should work on their training ever day. They should all practice their holy powers as well. Rin will be able to help them somewhat but I would like you to ask the elder miko to assist in their training as well. Taking them all to the village would most likely upset the villagers so it would be best to bring her to them instead."

"Alright. I'm sure Kaede won't mind. She was curious to see what they could do with the power anyway."

"While you were away this Sesshoumaru killed several swarms of saimyosho. It seems Naraku has been sending them out as spies. If you sense any in the area do not let them escape. Allow none to return to Naraku. They have been spotted in the Western Lands as well. Jaken has informed me of the wind witch's presence. She has been killing any saimyosho who attempt to enter my lands in an apparent attempt to keep her master ill-informed as to our location."

"You mean she's attacking her allies?"

"It seems she may have been speaking the truth when she claimed to be an unwilling participant in his vile plots. My messengers know to contact me here if there is a matter that needs my immediate attention. If this occurs or if there is a danger you cannot handle alone come through the well and retrieve me. I will inform Jaken that he is to assist you with the children and follow your orders as you are in command in my absence. If he does not behave I find a well aimed rock or a good kick works wonders to remind him of his place."

Inuyasha nodded his agreement. "Everything will be fine. I'll keep the kids busy. You keep Kagome safe. Things are different in her time. It'll take a while to get used to. The whole place smells terrible. She said it's because of something called 'pollution'. I imagine it will be much worse for you. It helps if you stay close to her. Her scent seems to block out the others. It's a lot louder too. There are these big metal machines that take people from one place to another. They make a ton of noise and they have a lot to do with the smell. Don't attack them. Don't attack anything unless Kagome asks you to which isn't likely." It was Sesshoumaru's turn to nod in understanding. "She'll explain as much as she can. When she goes to school you'll have to stay at the shrine. Her mother is really nice. She always makes me ramen. Her kid brother can be annoying and her grandfather is nuts. He's always slapping sutras on me, not that they're any good. I bet her mom will help you out while Kagome is gone, explain things, answer questions, whatever you need."

"This Sesshoumaru appreciates the warnings. I did not really know what to expect."

"It's definitely different but there's a lot of interesting things. Humans have really made progress."

"Kagome has told me that there are no demons in her time?"

"Not that I've ever sensed. I suppose they could be hiding but if they are they're doing a damn good job. So you're leaving in the morning?"

"Yes, we will be leaving early tomorrow so that she can study. These 'exams' seem rather important to her."

"They are, not that I know why. I don't know why she wastes her time on 'school' when she should be here." Sesshoumaru nodded his agreement. Why was she so concerned about school? Was she intending on returning to her time when her task was completed? The demon lord found himself a bit concerned. She wouldn't leave, would she? He would have to ask her. She couldn't leave him.

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The rest of the afternoon and evening was uneventful. When Miroku and Sango had returned to camp holding hands Kagome merely smiled at them, happy they were finally honest with each other. She spent the whole evening with the children as they attempted to soak in as much of her presence as possible since she would be leaving in the morning. Dinner was simple and quiet, followed by a story and then bed. They all slept close together once more, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha lying on either side of Kagome with the children trying their best to be close to her as well. Sesshoumaru had trouble falling asleep. He was nervous, actually nearly terrified, of meeting her family. He had to make a good impression so that he could receive their permission to court Kagome. He held her close to his body as his mind ran through possible scenarios, some good and some bad. He didn't know what to expect. Not only were they human, a species he knew little about, but they were also from a different time. Five hundred years was a big difference and he had no knowledge of their beliefs or customs which made the whole thing harder.

Before he knew it the sun was rising and he had worried all night long. Trying to calm himself he buried his nose in her hair and breathed in her relaxing scent. He would have to make sure she left something with her scent behind for the children. While it wouldn't be the same, it would at least make things a little easier on them. He figured the blankets and pillow would do but perhaps she should leave a few articles of clothing that she had worn but not yet washed. He was drawn out of his thoughts when he felt her shift in his hold. He let out a low rumbling growl that Kagome would have called a purr and he felt as her body relaxed and she fell back to sleep. He smirked as he realized that she responded to the growl meant to soothe his mate just as a demoness would have. Trying to keep his worries from invading his mind once again he buried his face in her hair, content to do nothing but breathe her in. They would stay like this as long as possible, until either Kagome absolutely had to get up or until Jaken returned.

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The sun had fully risen and he knew that all the children were awake but were pretending to sleep. No one wanted to lose the feel of her aura and scent wrapped around them. It was time, though. He could feel the approach of Jaken and Ah Un. Soon they would be leaving for her time. "It is time to get up. Jaken approaches," he said in a low but still authoritative voice. They let out little whines and grumbles but they complied and got up. When only he, Inuyasha, and Kagome remained he whispered in her ear. "Kagome, you need to wake up. We will be leaving soon and the children would like to see you before you go."

He heard her groan before she started to shift again. "If you want me to get up you will have to let go of me first," she said in a sleepy voice. Opening her eyes she blinked at the brightness in the clearing. When she could see once again she looked into Inuyasha's eyes. "You too, Inuyasha." She smiled as he made a face and began grumbling under his breath while rising. Sesshoumaru, however, still held her tightly. "Sesshoumaru," she said in her most feminine sounding voice. "I can't take you home with me if you don't let me up." She smirked as she felt him move a bit behind her, pressing himself against her soft bottom. "Again? Geez Sesshoumaru. What are you thinking back there?"

"If I told you, you would be blushing for a week," he teased in a deep and seductive tone while blowing in her ear. It was his turn to smirk as he felt her shiver. Finally giving in to his own logic he sat up, pulling her along with him. After placing a few kisses along her neck and shoulder he released her and watched as she led the children off to wash up for breakfast. Jaken arrived just in time, landing at the edge of the clearing. He removed just a few scrolls from Ah Un's saddle bags and approached where his lord sat. The toad immediately filled Lord Sesshoumaru in on the happenings at the palace before giving him he scrolls and retrieving his lord's writing materials so that he could pen his responses.

Kagome found herself explaining the importance of a toothbrush to nine curious children. She figured that the demons would most likely never need to brush their teeth as their demon abilities would probably prevent any tooth decay. Now bad breath she wasn't so sure of. Rin, on the other hand, was human and thus very susceptible to cavities and several other nasty dental issues, even more so if she continued bringing sweets from her time for the children. She made a mental note to remember to get Rin a toothbrush and children's toothpaste. When she mentioned this to Rin all the boys nearly begged for toothbrushes of their own even if they didn't need them. She just smiled and nodded. If it would make them happy then she saw no problem with it. Brushing your teeth was never a bad thing. She had often thought of the joys of modern dentistry, most especially mouthwash, when faced with a demon in close proximity. She had never even imagined that someone's breath could smell any worse but time after time the record was shattered by another, even more disgusting demon. Kagome shook off the thought and led the children back to camp for breakfast.

The morning meal was filled with discussion of what the group would be doing to keep busy while Sesshoumaru and Kagome were gone. The children expressed their excitement at the idea of Kaede helping to train them, Rin especially. Jaken had been given orders to assist the others in the care of the children and to obey Inuyasha, the prospect of which caused the toad to choke on his breakfast, his face turning even greener than usual. Inuyasha laughed and gave him a firm whack on the back, sending the half-chewed food flying into the fire while Jaken gasped for breath. Sango and Miroku didn't say much. They were too busy stealing glances at each other. Sure, they had shared their feelings and an awesome kiss or two but neither knew quite where to go from there. Neither had ever been in a real relationship and had absolutely no clue as to how to progress.

Sesshoumaru had finished penning his responses and gave them to Jaken to take back in a few days. He then looked at Kagome who was pretty much buried under children that didn't want to let her go. "Kagome, have you finished packing what you will need?" She nodded and managed to move a hand free to point at her big yellow bag. "You all need to release Kagome. We will be going now." There were whines and soft pleas for her to stay as they moved off of her.

"You guys will be fine while we're gone. You know we'll come back. Just be good and have fun and we'll be back in no time. I'll miss you all too." She knelt and hugged each child one by one, giving each a kiss on the cheek. She was near tears by the time she was finished as they had all taken the chance to tell her just how much they loved her and would miss her. Kagome sniffled and stood before giving Inuyasha a big hug. "Take care of all my kids, 'kay?"

"You know I will. I'll miss ya too, Kagome. Come back soon."

Kagome gave Sango and Miroku hugs next and Miroku found himself not even the slightest bit tempted to touch her ass. Maybe it wouldn't be as hard as he imagined to keep his hands to himself… and Sango. The miko picked up both Kirara and Kazue and nuzzled each, saying her silent good-byes. Once she put the two down she patted Ah and Uh's heads. "Alright, we're gonna go now. Damn it, it's never been this hard to leave before."

Sesshoumaru approached and wrapped his arm around her, allowing her to bury her face in mokomoko's soft fur. He had her bag slung over his shoulder as he had seen her do in the past. He had already said his good-byes and knew the longer this was drawn out the harder it would be. He nodded at the others before lifting Kagome into his arm and walking towards the well. Once they arrived he set her down carefully. "Are you ready, Kagome?" She nodded and wrapped her arm around his waist as they climbed to stand on the ledge. He held her close to him as they both jumped into the well and disappeared in a flash of bright blue light.

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Inuyasha and the boys knew the moment she was gone as the marks cut off. Inuyasha hadn't felt it before and swore under his breath at the pain. Looking around he saw all the boys cringing. They all moved together to the laid out blankets where they had slept and lay down, breathing in her scent that still clung heavily to the fabric. They weren't in the mood to do anything at all. They already missed her and they knew they would have to wait at least seven days until they saw her again, maybe a few more. This week was going to royally suck.

Inuyasha sat by Miroku and Sango just staring into the flames. He didn't know what to do at the moment. Nothing he could do or say would cheer them up. He looked at Rin who was sitting in Sango's lap. She didn't have a mark to have cut off but she missed Kagome just as much as everyone else did. She had her little face buried in Sango's neck, looking for comfort. He needed to think of something to distract them. The depression hanging in the air in the clearing was tangible. Hell, he could probably choke on it. He wracked his brain for an idea, something, anything to distract them. He stiffened and sniffed the air. Well, he had asked for a distraction. Beggars can't be choosers. With a growl in his throat he stood and looked in the direction he could smell and sense them in. They would be there in just a few minutes.

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The floating feeling that Kagome always felt as she traveled through time was slightly different while held against her demon lord's chest. She still felt suspended but she also felt secure, as if slowly sinking to the bottom of the pool while holding tight to a lifeguard who was sure to bring you to the surface. Funny, she never noticed any difference when Inuyasha held her while traveling through the well. Once the ground formed beneath them she felt as he slightly bent his knees before leaping out of the dark depths and into the well house.

"You're not going to want to take a deep breath when we go through the doors, okay? Inuyasha tells me the pollution smells terrible. And it's gonna be loud too."

He nodded at her as he released her waist. "Inuyasha warned me of such. As long as you stay close the smell should be bearable." She smiled at him and held his hand as they walked up the few steps to the sliding doors. She looked at him, as if asking if he was ready. He nodded and she slid the doors open. The bright sunlight made them both blink as their eyes adjusted from the darkness in the closed well house. Once they could see she pulled a bit at his hand to get him to move, turning and closing the well house doors before they continued across the grounds of the shrine. Trying to remember to breathe shallowly he walked along side Kagome as she led him towards what he recognized as her house from the memories she had shown him. He frowned at the noise. He had no idea what was causing all that racket but it was much louder than in his time where all you heard was insects and the wind in the leaves. He carefully took a small test sniff which he immediately decided wasn't a good idea. Inuyasha was right. It smelled terrible! How did the humans, even with their weaker senses, stand this? She giggled as she found his nose buried in her hair. He breathed her scent in deeply, trying desperately to rid his nose of the terrible stench and replace it with her sweet one. As her scent flowing into him he felt himself relaxing. He hadn't even noticed how stiff his back had been until his shoulders dropped into a much more comfortable position. He was nervous. In just a minute or so he would be meeting the family of the woman he intended to make his mate.

"Are you alright?" she asked while trying to look at him. She found it rather difficult since his face was still buried in her hair. He merely nodded and took in another pull of her scent. "We're here. The smell shouldn't be as bad once we get inside." He looked up and watched as she opened a door that led into what he guessed was the kitchen. Once the door was closed behind them he bravely removed his face from her hair completely and took another, much smaller, test sniff. It wasn't too bad. Sure, he could still detect a bit of the bad scent from outside but there was the strong scent of home cooked meals, the scent of three humans besides Kagome, and a cat. "Mama? Are you home?"

"Kagome?" her mother called from the living room. Kagome pulled Sesshoumaru along with her as they moved toward the voice. Once Hiromi could see her daughter she stood from her place on the couch. "I wasn't expecting you until Sunday."

Kagome smiled at her mother. "I was having a hard time studying so I came home a few days earlier." She watched for a moment as her mother eyed the tall demon who was now standing mostly behind Kagome. "Mama, while I'm sure you already know, this is Lord Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha's half-brother. Sesshoumaru, this is my mother."

Hiromi grinned brightly as the demon lord bowed his greeting. "You can call me Hiromi if you like, or Mama like Kagome does. It's nice to meet you. Are you going to be staying?"

Hiromi watched as he glanced at Kagome, as if asking her to answer for him. It was cute how nervous he was! "Yeah, mama. Sesshoumaru's gonna hang out here this week. He wanted to see my time and meet my family."

"You are welcome to stay as long as you want and make yourself at home," she said with a bright smile that Sesshoumaru noted looked very familiar. "After all, you're going to be my son-in-law, right?"

"Mooommm!" Kagome whined. "Don't start now, please? I knew you would know. You knew all along, didn't you?"

"Why of course dear. Oh, would you two like some tea? And I just finished making cookies! Go on, Kagome. Take your guest into the living room to sit." Kagome merely nodded before taking her bag from Sesshoumaru and tossing it at the bottom of the stairs and leading him to sit on the couch. She noticed that he sat with his back straight and shoulders back, like he was a soldier standing at attention.

"Hey," she murmured while poking him. "Relax. She doesn't bite." A grin pulled at her lips. "That would be you," she said with a small laugh. He turned and locked eyes with her. "You don't need to be so nervous. She knows who you are. She knows all about the prophecy and she knew who you were before I did. She obviously doesn't mind a bit. Scoot back a little," she ordered with a nudge. When he eased back so that he was fully seated on the couch she surprised him by climbing into his lap. She sat sideways, her bottom fully on his left thigh with her knees hanging over his right. She pulled his hand into both of hers and settled them in her lap, smiling as she watched him relax. "You okay?"

"This Sesshoumaru has never been in a similar situation. I am not sure what to say."

"How about you say what you want to? Everything will be fine. Where is my big, strong, confident demon, huh?" With that said she leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to his lips before running her fingers through his bangs to help them lay neatly as they usually did. His hand slipped from the one that was still holding it to rest on the left side of her waist, giving her a gentle squeeze. He froze though when Hiromi reentered, afraid of how she would react to finding her daughter in the lap and arm of a demon. She held a tray with all the necessary tea paraphernalia and a plate of chocolate chip cookies. Kagome let out a sigh of frustration before shrugging her shoulders at her mother. Hiromi smiled, seeing her daughter perched on the demon's lap. Apparently they had been getting along well so far. Kagome twisted a little so she could look into his eyes. "She called you her future son-in-law. Do you know what that means?" she whispered. Seeing the confusion in his eyes she smiled. "It means she expects that you'll marry me and she doesn't have a problem with it." Kagome grinned as realization dawned in his eyes. Her mother approved of their marriage, which he understood to be the human equivalent of mating, or at least as close as the species got.

"So, Kagome, how is everyone?" Hiromi asked while pouring the tea. "Are the children with Inuyasha?"

"Yeah. Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku are watching the kids while we're here. Jaken too. Everyone's fine, if not a little pouty. They didn't want me to go."

"The children have become very attached to Kagome," Sesshoumaru offered.

"Oh, and Miroku finally told Sango how he feels. When we left they were holding hands!"

"That's wonderful dear," Hiromi said as she handed her daughter a cup. Kagome took it and gave it too Sesshoumaru before sliding out of his lap so he could actually drink it. Kagome picked up her own and added sugar just like she liked it.

"Sesshoumaru? Do you want any cream or sugar in your tea?" Kagome asked.

He shook his head before taking a small sip of the steaming liquid. "This Sesshoumaru thanks you for the tea. It is very good."

"Thank you. Let me know if you would like more. And help yourself to the cookies." Hiromi focused on Kagome once more. "And how is Inuyasha?" Kagome knew from the look in her eye that her question was more of a 'How is Inuyasha handling the whole Sesshoumaru thing'.

"Inuyasha is fine. He and Sesshoumaru are getting along now."

"Let's see it." When Kagome looked at her, confused, she elaborated. "Inuyasha's mark!"

"Oh! It's absolutely beautiful!" Kagome exclaimed while rolling up her sleeve.

Hiromi inspected the new mark with a smile. "It certainly is."

The three sat drinking tea and eating cookies for a few more minutes, making small talk about nothing at all before Kagome excused them. "I want to show Sesshoumaru around the house and then I need to start studying for Monday's exams. Souta's still at school?" Hiromi nodded. "Where's Gramps?"

"He's around here somewhere. He said something about sweeping and restocking the gift shop."

"Ah. Well, can you warn him Sesshoumaru's here so that he doesn't freak out? I don't think he'd appreciate Gramps throwing sutras all over him."

"I'll try," her mother said with a knowing grin. Even if he was warned he probably would do it anyway and there wasn't much they could do about it.

Kagome helped her mother arrange the used cups on the tray before dragging Sesshoumaru behind her up the stairs, having paused for a moment to grab her bag. She pointed at the doors as they passed, identifying her mother's room, Souta's room, Gramp's room, and the bathroom. At the bathroom she told him she would explain when it was necessary while sporting a cute, in Sesshoumaru's opinion, blush. She wasn't quite sure yet how she would explain the bathroom, especially the toilet, without thoroughly embarrassing herself. Then opened her door and motioned for him to sit as she closed it behind them. "This is my room," she announced.

"This Sesshoumaru figured such. You're scent is very strong in this room." He looked around, taking it all in. "It is very…pink."

Kagome laughed. "Yeah, I probably need to redecorate but I'm not here often enough to worry about it." She walked around him as he was still just standing there in the middle of the room looking around. "Might as well make yourself comfortable. You can take the armor off. No one's going to be attacking or anything." She watched with a grin as he dropped the bone armor to the floor. She found the armor annoying and uncomfortable and was glad it would be out of her way all week. That's when she noticed the shopping bags sitting on the floor at the end of the bed. Curious, she peeked into the first one before blushing as she pulled out a pair of red silk boxer shorts. Sesshoumaru lifted a brow in question. "I think Mom bought some clothes for you."

"And what is that?" he asked with a smirk as her blush darkened.

"Underwear," she whispered.

"What was that?"

She growled at him. "I know very well that you heard me. You have demon hearing, remember? It's underwear. You wear them under your pants."

"Like the little lacy thing you wear that barely covers anything?"

Throwing the boxers at his head, which he caught in mid-air, she dug around in the bags to see what else there was. "Mine are called 'panties' thank you very much. And you don't need to be talking about them!"

"And why not? This Sesshoumaru finds them rather intriguing."

She balled up a pair of jeans and nailed him right in the face. Apparently his reflexes weren't working so great when he was busy thinking about her panties. She laughed as he pulled them off his head and looked at them in question. "Those are called jeans. I was wondering what we would do. I didn't know what you could wear while we went to buy you clothes. You really can't go around Tokyo in your normal clothes. It'd attract way too much attention. The hair and markings will do enough as it is. Problem solved! Looks like she got a couple different outfits. Saves me the trouble of shopping!" She grinned as she pulled out a pair of pajama pants. They were red with little white puppy dogs on them. She fought not to laugh at the perfect irony. "And she thought of everything," she said through giggles.

Sesshoumaru lifted a brow at her. "And what is that supposed to be?"

"They're jammie pants, for you to sleep in. And they're cute!"

"This Sesshoumaru does not do cute," he muttered while looking suspiciously at the other bags. Kami knows what other embarrassing things they had yet to reveal.

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Author's Notes:

So, we're in the future now, something I was waiting for. And writer's block has officially cleared up as I wrote a full chapter a night two nights in a row, and they're not little ones either.

A Single Spark is going to be read only for a while, possibly until January! I think everyone should donate a little something since we all use the site so much. With as many users as there are it shouldn't be difficult to raise the money they need.

Thanks to everyone who added me on facebook and myspace. The blog on myspace is going to be where I talk about the story, announcing new chapters, etc. It's nice to actually get to know the people behind the reviews!

I've decided there will be at least one lemon w/ Sango and Miroku.

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Reviewer Responses: I'm going to write the ones for ASingleSpark since I didn't get them last chapter. I hope all my readers from there are able to find this on the other sites.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! I appreciate it and I'm glad you're enjoying the story!

**ASingleSpark – **

Sunset Love – Lucky. Did I say before that I'm from Erie? Lived there from when I was like 2 to 15. I miss it and all my friends so much. Never really made a whole lot of friends here. Not sure when the next lime will be, but I can confirm it's not in the next 2 chapters. As you can see by this chapter, yes, Sesshoumaru will be wearing modern clothes. The story I mentioned was Different Yet So Alike by Cold-Hearted Nightfox on Oh, and I finished writing ch 57 last night. It kept me up until 3:30 but it was worth it, at least I think so.

Snowbird – I have made promises that Inuyasha will find happiness. I've not yet decided about Kagura. She's still got a lot of issues and she might not make it away from Naraku alive I'm looking forward to the next new moon to see just what happens with Naraku and Inuyasha. (I know, I'm the one writing it but I still get excited too)

Jessi – The information was in ch 54. I hope you caught it.

Iloveprettysilverhair – I'm glad so many people want to send cards. Destiny is going to be one happy little girl. I'll make a list of where they all came from so anyone who's curious can see, probably on myspace. I think I'm going to make a scrapbook with them for her to keep.

Kagome-chan – did you manage to survive to read this one? My mom seems fine at the moment. Thanks for asking. She's got 2 tests scheduled but she is beginning to think she's lactose intolerant all of a sudden. Of course it was my idea a week ago but it held no merit until she had a milkshake and was subsequently miserable. Now she acts like it was her idea! Frustrating mommy she is.

Qarry – Sorry to hear you're sick. From what I've heard, gallbladder issues aren't pretty. You'll have to assign someone responsible for printing new chapters if you can't sit at the computer after surgery. That's something I would do.

Arryelle – My favorite person right now. Thanks again for getting me to sign up at facebook. I found so many people from my school in Erie and some from school here that I lost touch with. You brought me back my friends! Damn, now I'll have to do something special for you. Maybe a double chapter day. No worries, there will definitely be far more than 100 chapters. I'm thinking of keeping it all in one title just to see how long it would be. I don't think I've ever seen one bigger than 100. That would just be fitting given how I go off on tangents at every turn. No wonder the story is so long. I just can't pass up ideas when they hit me!

Lester Joe – No, Kagome's father isn't someone you've seen before.

StephanieGENE – Glad you like it. I don't think my writing has been described as righteous before! I don't know what my next project will be. I have an idea that is poking at me constantly but it could be either a Sess or an Inu at the moment. I'm sure I could write an Inuyasha one since I've got like three started. One's even 75 pages. But I really like the Sesshoumaru pairing right now so who knows.

Daiyanna – Glad you're enjoying the story. Happy I can give you something to look forward to.

Jean – I think it was the transitional chapters that were giving me trouble to begin with. I wanted to get to something new!

Inupriestess – the story I was talking about was Different Yet So Alike by Cold-Hearted Nightfox on Sess in the future is so much fun to write. 

Sarah – I think that's why my story is so detailed and paced like it is. I put myself as Kagome in terms of what I would say or how I would react, but then I also look at it as a reader and try to make sure I don't skip anything people would like to read. I have read some stories that had an absolutely amazing and original storyline but they flew through so fast that it seemed like each sentence should have been at least a couple of paragraphs, hell even a whole chapter. It makes me sad to see a great idea go to waste because the author just wants to get it out or rushes through.

And now there won't be any ASingleSpark reviewer responses for a while since the site's locked down.

**Mediaminer – **

Ethereal Siren – It would be funny to see her take them both down at once, especially useful if they are fighting each other. Glad you liked the confession. I've got a surprise in store in ch 57 that you are absolutely never ever gonna see coming. If you do I'll have to ban you from thinking. I can't wait. I'm half tempted to put up 56 and 57 now too.

Bettychan – I'm flattered but no, I'm not a professional writer. When I was younger I always wanted to be an author, first novels, then kids books, then those tween type books. I don't know if I could write as well if I had to start from scratch. With fanfiction I have something to work off of. I'm not telling about the arm but it is entirely possible that the necklace has more than just 2 commands.

Kawaichan – I'm probably 3/4s done with the inside decorations after three whole days. I haven't even begun to think about outside. I hope your having a good time in – 

Iloveprettysilverhair – two responses again! Everyones going to start thinking you're a teachers pet:-) I am having so much fun writing them in Kagome's time! When oh when are you going to post the next ch to Fancy Meeting You Here? I'm going to have to start poking you with a stick or something. I'm really interested in that one.

Princess Kathleen – Freeze was one I just had to put in because I have a bit of a scene in my head that refused to be ignored and depended totally on that command. Oh, to have the great demon lord on his knees at your feet, yes very nice. I got the hea on the stomach to release thing from A Sister's Gift. Its an AU but set in the past and it's pretty damn good. Rinseternalsoul I believe

Chibi strawberry neko – I understand the mom thing. But you're only a year younger than me! I guess I can't say anything since I live with my mommy but it's fairly obvious over here who is the dominant personality of the household and it's definitely not her. Merry Christmas to you too!

Vanessa1822 – I know. I'm evil sometimes. At least she isn't dead this cliffie!

Firefly – glad you're enjoying it. That story is actually the one I read that made me want to find more in the same theme. Still haven't found another complete one. I just loved the confused Sesshoumaru thinking he might be gay. I might have to write one myself just to get to enjoy it again!

Ceira – I'm really surprised how many people actually thought I might not let him through the well. But I guess I do like sticking wrenches in the works every now and then. I'm gonna miss A Single Spark this month. There are a couple stories I was following. I'll have to see if they're on other sites because I am most definitely not patient. Just ask Iloveprettysilver hair (pokes writer with stick as she falls asleep on the keyboard trying to update the story I'm reading)

Syoze – I never got a request for you on myspace. Don't feel bad. I liked yugioh too. But that was before the lovely tivo came to live here and I always ended up missing the next day when something exciting was happening. Got rather frustrating. 4pm was not a good time for me. Hell, I even bought cards. And sold them for a hell of a lot more than I bought them for too! Never apologize for a long review, or I might start apologizing for a long chapter! ;-)

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And now I'm gonna go play on my facebook and myspace. Still figuring things out. I would love to have any of you as friends so feel free to add me and I'll add you right back!


	56. How to Embarrass a Miko

**Chapter 56 – How to Embarrass a Miko While Remaining Oblivious to Danger**

Sango and Miroku looked towards Inuyasha when they heard his growl. "What is it, Inuyasha?"

"We've got company. You'll see in a second," he said as he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. They watched as the boys stiffened one by one before lifting their heads to look around. Sango set Rin down and stood, reaching for her boomerang as Miroku took hold of his staff from where it had been propped against a tree. They stood, battle ready, as the boys rose and formed a semi-circle around their sister. They remembered that smell and they weren't looking forward to seeing its owner any time soon. Kirara and Kazue remained in their small forms but were alert and ready, Kirara at Sango's side and Kazue at Rin's feet. Ah and Un moved near the little girl as Jaken readied his staff. He didn't know what was coming but he would be ready.

As they looked off into the distance they finally started to see the familiar heads rising over the hill as the group approached. Kouga was, for once, walking side by side with Ginta and Hakaku and there were several other wolf demons following them and a small pack of wolves trotted along as well. Inuyasha waited until they were close enough so that he wouldn't have to yell but far enough that he felt the others were safe before stepping forward. "What the hell do you think you're doing here, flea-bag? I thought Sesshoumaru scared you off for good!"

Kouga snarled at the memory. He had retreated at the time because it was just him against the two brothers but now Sesshoumaru would be easy to handle, wherever he was. "Where's my Kagome?"

"Ya just missed her! Too bad. Guess you'll just have to turn tail and run on home again. And she's not yours you bastard!"

"Where'd she go, mutt?"

"None of your fucking business. Now get out of here before I kick your ass! Kagome isn't here to stop me this time."

Kouga looked like he was thinking for a moment before he answered. "I'm not going anywhere. We'll wait right here for my woman to get back." His attention was drawn to the children when a chorus of vicious snarls erupted from their direction. "What's with the runts?"

"Not that it's any of your business but they are Sesshoumaru's pups. What do you want with Kagome anyway? She ain't comin' back for a week!"

"We've come to protect her on her travels while she collects the jewel shards. Obviously you can't be trusted to do so since you lost her you worthless half-breed." Even Inuyasha was surprised by the new round of snarls. Apparently his nephews didn't like it when he was insulted. He smirked at the wolf who looked like he was contemplating his next move.

"You aren't fucking welcome here and you aren't fucking needed here either."

"That's up to her, not you. We'll wait for her to return. My Kagome will be thrilled that I've come to travel with her and protect her, just you wait." Yoshi caught hold of both Yuudai's and Isamu's hair as they attempted to run past him at the wolf. They couldn't stand listening to the wolf calling their Mama his. She was theirs! The two youngest bit back the yelps that nearly escaped as they were jerked back by their hair. Both shot glares at their older brother but he refused to let go. They all watched as the wolves turned and walked away. They didn't go far enough though as they could still sense their presence a few clearings away and their scent failed to disappear, to their dismay of course.

Inuyasha turned and looked at the kids. "No one goes near them. The bastard ain't gonna leave unless we make him. Kagome's gotta tell him to get lost. They'll most likely keep their distance until she comes back. Don't worry about them," he said reassuringly while looking at the two youngest. "You all know Kagome doesn't want him so there's no reason to get worked up, alright?" He waited for a response but when he got none he repeated himself, louder this time. "Alright?" The boys nodded their agreement before relaxing a bit and returning to sit on the blankets that held their Mama's soothing scent. They needed to feel her presence right now.

Jaken was confused. He had no idea who the wolf had been or why he called Lady Kagome his. Did Lord Sesshoumaru know that another laid claim to the miko? Jaken made his way closer to the humans and decided to ask. "Who was that wolf? Why did he claim Lady Kagome as his?"

Sango looked at the toad and realized that he hadn't been present the last time Kouga 'visited'. "Kagome considers him a friend. He kidnapped her a long time ago because she could see the jewel shards and decided he was in love with her. He's been calling her his woman ever since no matter how many times she tries to tell him she's not going to be his mate."

"Does Lord Sesshoumaru know?"

"Yep," Miroku said with a smirk. "He was here the last time Kouga showed up. He said some things that Lord Sesshoumaru didn't much appreciate about Kagome and they fought, though Kagome kept your Lord from killing Kouga. Kouga ran off while Kagome healed Lord Sesshoumaru's arm. Didn't expect him to come back."

"Guess the flea-bag can't take a hint. Sesshoumaru's gonna kick his ass all the way back to his den when he gets back." Inuyasha flopped down near the fire. He didn't want the wolf so close but he couldn't risk fighting them all when he was supposed to be protecting the pack. When his brother came back though, it would be on. He found that he was sort of looking forward to fighting alongside his brother, especially against Kouga who had been an annoying thorn in his side for too long.

Jaken nodded his head in agreement. If the wolf indeed had laid claim to the miko before his lord there may have to be a challenge. He had no doubt that his Lord could skin the wolf alive in an instant so long as Lady Kagome did not intercede. He glanced over at his young Lords. They looked so depressed. He hadn't realized quite how important the miko had become until now, seeing how much they missed her.

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Somewhere at the forest's edge in the southern lands sat a beautiful black panther demon. She sat on her haunches and growled softly to herself as she watched a large white feather flying in the distance carrying two passengers. Once it had fully passed her she rose and stretched, her sleek black fur shining in the sunlight. Turning, she ran through the thick forest, with such speed and agility that she appeared as nothing but a shadow slipping between the trees. Just minutes later she arrived at her destination, shifting into her humanoid form. She was just as beautiful in this form with dark tanned skin and impossibly black hair and claws. Her orange shimmering eyes glowed and her long smooth tail twitched swiftly behind her.

"She was too close this time." Her voice was like black silk as she spoke to the others. There were four more, all with the same coloring as the first. "I do not know what she wants here but I do not trust her. She serves the dark hanyou who covets the Shikon jewel."

"She has been passing closer and closer to our den. Something must be done."

"Perhaps we should kill the wind witch and send him a message."

"But if we were to do so would we not be making an enemy of ourselves? He is strong thanks to the jewel. It would not be wise to place ourselves on the wrong side."

"You would align yourself with that abomination?"

"I merely believe that it would be better to serve him and be safe than fight against him and lose. I have heard that he is rather generous with jewel shards to those who serve him well."

"If we were to get our claws on shards of the jewel then he would no longer be a threat."

"Perhaps we should see what he has to offer. It is obvious she is searching for us."

"I do not believe we can trust the hanyou."

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. If we join with him and receive shards then we will be powerful enough to defeat him and claim the remaining shard of the jewel he holds if he is found untrustworthy."

"Then it is decided. When she next approaches we will allow her to find us and see just what it is she has to say."

"It should prove to be at least mildly entertaining."

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"So, do you want to change into something? It might be a good idea for you to get used to the different feel of the modern clothes so when we go somewhere you won't be uncomfortable."

Sesshoumaru considered the idea for a minute. She was probably right. The items she had pulled out so far were different from what he was used to wearing and since he was going to be here a while and most definitely intended to leave the shrine grounds with her it would be to his benefit to become accustomed to the new clothing. He nodded at her and watched her smile widen. Apparently she was looking forward to seeing him in clothes from her time.

"What do you think? Regular day clothes, lounging around the house clothes, or more formal?"

"Will we be leaving the house today?"

"Probably not, unless you wanted to," she replied.

"Well then this Sesshoumaru would prefer the less formal, as you put it, 'lounging clothes'."

"Good choice. They'll probably be the most comfortable for you, besides the jammie pants of course." She began digging around in the bags, trying to find the perfect items for a first time wearer of modern style clothing. She decided on a pair of black cargo pants. She could tell by looking at them that they would be baggy, which she considered a good thing for the moment. Inuyasha had always complained about the jeans she wanted him to wear, saying they were too tight, which they were compared to his usual pants. Kagome figured the same would go for Sesshoumaru. It was better to let him get used to the differences in the clothing a bit at a time. This was not to say that she didn't want to see her taiyoukai in nice tight jeans because she most definitely did, but he wouldn't be as comfortable in them. She grabbed a pair of red boxers, cotton this time with a black waistband that said 'You Wish' over and over all the way around. She let out a giggle at the idea of her mother buying something like that. Then she picked a white t-shirt out of another bag and held it up to inspect. Sesshoumaru was startled when she burst out laughing hysterically.

"What is it that you find so entertaining?" he asked, trying to hide the interest in his tone.

Kagome couldn't believe it. Her mother was amazing! She had noticed the couple of nice button down dress shirts but then there was this. It was so perfect for her demon lord, so fitting. Kagome, while gasping for breath between bouts of laughter, turned the shirt around so he could read the writing on the front. Hiromi couldn't have picked a better one if she tried. The white shirt had black writing on it that said 'Leave me alone! I am not being rude, it's just that you are insignificant.'

Even Sesshoumaru had to let out a chuckle at the phrase. "It appears your mother has knowledge of this Sesshoumaru."

"I guess so. I can't believe she bought this! I wonder if there are any more. T-shirts with sayings are pretty popular with people my age. There are tons of different ones." He nodded and watched from his seat on her bed as she stood and approached him with the selected items in her hands. She held out the boxers first and watched as his eyebrow lifted at the words on the waistband. "This," she pointed, "is the front side. The shirt just pulls over your head, the words on the front." She held up the pants and showed him the zipper. "This is the front. I'll probably have to help you with the button and zipper so you don't end up tearing them up with your claws. Think you can handle the rest or you need my help?"

He examined her face for a minute. He would love her help, not because he needed it so much as he wanted an excuse for her to touch him. He could sense her nervousness and a light blush tinted her cheeks, leading him to believe that she would rather not help him if possible. Giving a mental sigh of disappointment he accepted the items from her. "I believe this Sesshoumaru can manage."

She nodded before moving towards the door. "I'll be right outside the door if you need my help. Call me in when you're read for me to close the pants."

He watched as she left the room, closing the door. _'Might as well get this over with,'_ he thought to himself before disrobing. His armor and swords that had been removed previously had been placed in what she called a 'closet' for safe-keeping but he wasn't sure what to do with mokomoko. He was pretty sure that his fur would not go well with his new modern look. Finally he decided, draping it over the chair near her desk. He didn't really want to leave it somewhere not on him or wrapped around her but he had decided he would have to compromise while here in her time. He pulled on the clothing, following her directions. It wasn't so bad actually. The clothes were comfortable, though not nearly as soft as the silk he usually wore. And the pants were about ready to fall down. He took a minute to inspect the odd clasps before giving up. She was right. With his claws and only one hand it wasn't likely that he could do it himself, though it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Now she would have to do it for him. He smirked at the thought as he called her back into the room.

When she heard him call her she turned and opened her door before freezing in place at the sight before her. He looked different, very different since she was used to seeing him in the same thing all the time. The dark color of the pants was a stark contrast to his pale skin. It was definitely odd to see him in a t-shirt, something so common on a man that was anything but. A small smile grew on her lips as he raised a brow in question, wondering if she was going to stand there in the doorway all day. "I think I like you in modern clothes. I can't wait to see you in those jeans," she said before getting lost in her thoughts of Sesshoumaru in nice tight jeans. Definitely a nice thought.

She failed to notice as he approached her, didn't notice until his hand moved to rest on her hip. "What are you thinking of to make your scent spike so deliciously?" he asked, his voice a low, sexy tone, his breath brushing against her neck where his face was buried as he attempted to drown himself in the scent of her arousal.

She looked up at him, startled and confused. What did he mean, her scent changed? As it slowly dawned on her she groaned and laid her forehead on his shoulder. "Nothing really. Just picturing what you would look like in some other clothes from my time. Looking forward to it."

"Really," he stated/asked in a seductive tone. "You find this Sesshoumaru attractive in clothes from your time?" he asked teasingly as he kissed her throat. He gave her a gentle kiss on her sweet lips before releasing her and looking at her expectantly. At first she didn't know why he was just standing there looking at her. She looked up at him in confusion. "You were correct in your assumption that I will need your assistance in securing these 'pants'." His face held a rather sexy grin as he watched her realize what he was waiting for. That cute blush from earlier returned full force and she slowly reached for the waist of his cargos, zipping and buttoning them. She lifted her face so she could once more survey the entire outfit. Yes, he definitely looked good. She lifted herself up on her toes and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before moving away towards her bag. Sesshoumaru went to look at the books that lined a few shelves near her desk. While he was scanning titles Kagome pulled her books and papers out of her bag and arranged them on the desktop. Checking her calendar to be sure she remembered correctly she picked up her science book to prepare for the first exam on Monday. When she turned around she found Sesshoumaru lounging on her bed, propped up on her pillows and reading a book. Feeling her eyes on him he looked up and motioned for her to join him. She carried her study materials over to the bed and sat, allowing him to arrange her body so that she was comfortably partially reclined against his chest in such a way that she could still read and take notes and he could read the book he had selected to pass the time. The two sat together for a few hours in silence while they read their respective books.

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Not too far away three girls were walking away from the large building they had just left. It was finally Friday and school was out for the weekend. They had a ton of studying to do though so the weekend wasn't going to be much fun. They had finals all week next week and each girl was determined to do well.

"I wonder if Kagome is going to make it to school to take the exams," Ayumi thought aloud. "I hope she will be well enough to."

"She's missed so much school though that she's probably going to have a hard time, especially since the teachers were reviewing all week this week. She won't know what is going to be on the exams so she won't know what to study," Eri replied.

"Maybe we should go check on her, see if she needs help studying. Oh! I know! We should all study together so we can let her read over our notes, maybe even copy them. Plus, if we help her with all the things she missed it will help us remember better for the tests! It'll be like studying only more fun!" Yuka's voice had gotten progressively louder and more excited as she went on and was now bouncing on the heels of her feet as she waited impatiently for her friends to agree.

Eri nodded her head. "You're right! That's what friends are for and we wouldn't be very good friends if we didn't help our sick friend to not fail her finals. I'll have to go home first and let my mother know where I'll be."

"I have some notes at home that I need to grab," Ayumi said while smiling at the idea of seeing Kagome again. They never got to spend time together because Kagome was always so sick, and there was only one more year of school left. They needed to take advantage of every minute they had before they all ended up separated at different colleges in different cities.

"Alright. I'm going to change my clothes. How about we meet at the bottom of the shrine steps in half an hour?" Eri and Ayumi nodded their agreement and the three friends took off in different directions before they gathered once more at the shrine to surprise their 'ill' friend.

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Kagome's concentration was broken when she heard a door slam downstairs and her little brother yell to her mother that he was home. Looking at her clock she was surprised to see how much time had passed without a distraction and decided it was time for a break. She could use a snack and since her mother always made one for Souta when he got home from school maybe if she got down there quick enough she could get one too. Kagome closed her book and straightened up her papers before scooting to the edge of the bed and standing up. Once her things were placed on the desk she turned around to look at the demon who was watching her carefully. She smiled at him. The sight of him in 'normal' clothes lounging in her bed was now lodged permanently in her mind's eye. He looked like he belonged there, even though he was surrounded by pink. "I'm going to take a break and have a snack. You hungry?" He shook his head. Sure, the cookies had been good but they really weren't his thing. "Wanna come downstairs with me anyway? I can introduce you to my little brother." He nodded and closed the book he had been reading and rose gracefully from the mattress, placing the book on her bedside table. "He's probably going to compare you to Inuyasha. He's kind of Souta's hero. And be prepared for a ton of questions. You don't have to answer him if you don't want to but that won't keep him from asking."

"So then he is like Rin?"

"Incredibly curious and overly energetic? Definitely. Come on." Kagome straightened her t-shirt and shorts that had become misaligned at some point because of her half seated position earlier. Once she was satisfied that she didn't look like someone had been attempting to undress her with their toes she opened the door and led the way down the stairs. She stopped at the bottom, looking into the living room where her little brother had already commandeered the television to play video games. "Souta?" she called to him to get his attention.

When he heard his name he turned and caught sight of his sister. In an instant he was across the room and in her arms. "When did you get here? I thought you weren't coming home 'til Sunday. How long are you staying? Do you think you'll have time to play some games with me? I got a new one and it's **so** cool! Did Inuyasha come with you? Would you play soccer with me? Coach said I need to practice my passing but Mom and Gramps can't do it. Do you think you'll have time? We have our last game next Saturday. Will you be here then? Will you come watch me play? I missed you Kagome! I wish you were here more. Who's he? He looks like Inuyasha. Why does he look like Inuyasha? Is he related to Inuyasha? When is Inuyasha going to visit? I haven't seen him for a while! Wow, he's really tall! And the marks on his face are so cool!" His focus shifted completely to Sesshoumaru. "So are you related to Inuyasha? Are you a demon? What's with the markings? Do you have them anywhere else? Do you have any cool attacks like Inuyasha? Could you show me? Do you wanna play video games with me? I can show you how. It'll be lots of fun!" His words had come out in one long stream and it didn't even sound like he stopped to breathe. By the time he had stopped both Kagome and Sesshoumaru were quite overwhelmed by the sheer volume of questions he had launched at them in under a minute.

Shaking her head, Kagome ruffled her brother's hair before attempting to answer at least some of his questions. "This is Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru, this is my little brother Souta." Souta gave a little bow and Sesshoumaru respectfully returned it. "Sesshoumaru is Inuyasha's half-brother. He is a full demon and yes he has very powerful attacks but I don't think he can show you them here. I'm going to be here until at least next Friday but I suppose I can stay Saturday to see your game. Of course I'll help you practice, but I have to study for my finals too. And you ask **way** too many questions, kid." She laughed as Souta grumbled at being called a kid. He was at that age where he wanted to be treated like a grown-up even though he still acted like a child, and so he hated any and all reminders that he was still considered a kid. "Did Mama get you a snack yet?"

As Souta was shaking his head they both heard their mother come out of the kitchen and turned to look at her. She was carrying a tray that she set on the coffee table in the living room. Kagome grinned as her stomach rumbled in excitement for the pile of cookies and glass of milk that sat awaiting her. There were two glasses and enough cookies for them both, though that wouldn't stop them from fighting about how many each had and who go the last one. Noting that Sesshoumaru hadn't said a word she looked at him in question. He was standing beside her and it looked as if he was inspecting the photos that lined the shelves. "Are you alright?" she asked softly.

He nodded at her and took her hand gently before leading her to the couch where they had sat earlier with her mother, who had disappeared back into the kitchen once again. When she gave him a confused look he explained. "This Sesshoumaru can hear your stomach growl. You are hungry. Eat."

"Can do," she said with a smile before picking up a cookie and her glass of milk and leaning back on the couch. He watched intently as she dipped the cookie in the milk for a moment before eating it. He had to admit, the cookie he had eaten earlier was good, and for some reason he was enthralled by the dunking. He wondered if it made the cookie taste even better. Of course he wouldn't say anything though. He had already told her he wasn't hungry. He was surprised when she turned and held out the half eaten and thoroughly dipped snack. "I know you wanted to try it with the milk so take a bite." For a second he had intended to question just how she had known but then decided against it as he took a bite of the offered cookie she held for him. Yes, it was indeed better with milk. "Do you want me to get you a glass?"

"No. This Sesshoumaru will simply use yours." With that said he picked up a cookie off the plate, broke it in half as he had watched her do so that it would fit in the glass, and then dipped one half into the milk being held by a stunned miko. "Do you not know how to share?" he asked teasingly.

"Well… no… wait, yes… but… why…" Kagome growled her frustration and the demon seated beside her immediately felt the flash of heat that spread through his entire body before settling in one location. She was sexy when she growled! He heard her take in a deep breath before starting again. "Why would you use mine when I offered to get you one of your own?"

"Why should you dirty another glass with milk I will not drink?" 'Besides my dear, mates share everything which means your glass of milk was already mine as well.'

She smirked at him. 'No it wasn't. You're not my mate at the moment now are you?'

'Merely a formality I assure you,' he said while shooting her a heated smirk that sent an uncontrollable shiver down her spine.

"Fine. Whatever. Use my milk. Doesn't matter anyway."

'Have I mentioned to you just how sexy it is when you growl for me?'

'I wasn't growling **for** you. I was growling **at** you. There's a difference.'

'For or at, my reaction was the same.'

She turned to look him in the eye. 'Reaction?' She looked a tad bit lost for a minute or so but he knew when she finally understood by the rising blush that painted her cheeks a soft pink. 'Just the growl?'

'That is all it takes. Perhaps even less. This Sesshoumaru finds you irresistible.' He smirked as the pink darkened into red on her cheeks.

'You're evil. Did you know that?' Deciding that a new topic was needed she glanced around the room for anything to help her change the subject. While she was desperately searching for a distraction Souta put down his glass and turned the TV back on, immediately catching Sesshoumaru's attention. Kagome felt him tense beside her and looked over to see him staring warily at the foreign object.

"It's called television. You know how I explained the camera? Well, they have ones that can record motion rather than just stationary subjects. A lot of the shows are kind of like plays, where the people are actors, not really who they are portraying. Then there are the reality shows where real people compete for some kind of prize. The news has people who inform you of important events. And then cartoons are moving pictures, something someone drew. It's kind of hard to explain. I'll have to show you the different kinds of shows one day."

"So the people are not actually inside the box?"

"Nope. It's just technology. I have a set of encyclopedias. They have just about anything you could want to know in them, history, science, technology, literature, arts, all kinds of things. Remind me to show you which ones they are when we go back up to my room."

Now that he didn't need to feel threatened by the mystery object Kagome identified as a 'tele-vision' he relaxed and grabbed another cookie. He almost laughed aloud as she automatically held her glass out for him. He watched as the boy pushed a few buttons on the box and picked up a smaller object that had several buttons on it. The picture changed and he watched with interest as the boy seemed to interact with the box.

Seeing his curiosity Kagome volunteered the information, knowing he felt rather insecure being surrounded by things he had no knowledge of. "He's playing a video game. The thing he's holding is the controller and he pushes the buttons to tell the game what to do. Kami, it's even harder to explain. Let me see. Well, it's sort of like…"

Kagome didn't get to finish as her grandfather entered the room and made an announcement, not even noticing the demon on the couch right away. "Kagome, you've got a visitor."

Kagome fought back the sigh and prayed that her grandfather hadn't let whoever it was in. Of course she was sorely disappointed when her visitor walked into the living room holding a basket with two bottles of cranberry juice, a box of Baking soda, and a package she didn't recognize. As he approached her she could hear the low, rumbling growl coming from Sesshoumaru. No one else could hear it at the moment and she could only pray it stayed that way. She watched as her grandfather finally noticed Sesshoumaru and jumped back a bit, startled. Then he turned and walked away, grumbling under his breath about granddaughters and demons, though both the granddaughter and the demon in question heard him.

Sesshoumaru was trying his hardest to hold back the growl but all he could manage was dampening it. He didn't expect anyone could hear it except Kagome. She would most likely be upset if he started growling at her guests.

'This boy dares bring our mate a gift?' His beast was thoroughly upset with the presence of an unknown male, especially one showing up with gifts. No male should give gifts to the mate of another unless pack. This boy was not pack. This boy was trying to gain the attentions of his intended.

_'She does not appear happy to see him. He is not a threat.'_

'She hasn't sent him away!'

_'I trust our mate. Do you not?'_

'No! I trust her! It's him I don't trust.' The beast settled down some as he realized that Kagome truly did not seem at all happy to see her 'guest' and remembered just how much they trusted her and her loyalty.

"Higurashi! I heard about your cystitis and wanted to bring these things by. My mother said they should help. Hopefully then you will be able to make it to school for finals next week."

"Eh, cystitis? Oh, yeah… well… I'm feeling much better, yeah. I'll make it through the finals. But thank you anyways."

It was like he didn't even hear her as he went on. "Now my mother said that you should be drinking lots and lots of water, and that the cranberry juice should help. You should mix a teaspoon of the baking soda into a pint of water. That will reduce the acidity which should help with the discomfort. And these," he picked up the as of yet unidentified package, "are moist feminine wipes to help you keep the area clean so the infection won't come back."

Kagome was pretty sure she was going to die of embarrassment. _'Did Hojo honestly just bring me wipes for my…? Oh Kami, I am going to kill grandpa for this. I don't even know what the hell cystitis is! But obviously Hojo does and it has something to do with that?' _She watched as he set the basket holding the offending items on the table before he turned back to look at her nervously. He had either not noticed the presence of the very tall and beautiful man sitting beside her and her brother or he had simply chosen to pretend that she was the only being present.

He could feel Kagome's embarrassment but hadn't picked up on the cause. If he had, Hojo most definitely would no longer be standing upright, probably not breathing, and nearly certainly in several pieces. Then the nervousness that had been flowing off the boy increased exponentially. Sesshoumaru was suspicious. The boy had yet to even look at him so he doubted he felt threatened by his presence. Why was he suddenly so nervous?

"So, Higurashi, you're feeling alright then?" She nodded dumbly. "That's good to hear. I was really getting worried with you always getting so ill. Since you're feeling better, do you think you might be up to a movie tomorrow afternoon? Or maybe we could get an ice cream cone and take a walk in the park?"

Kagome's eyes shot to Sesshoumaru whose growling had intensified. She could see the red entering his vision, rimming his golden eyes. She instinctively grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together as she searched her mind for some excuse, some way to say no. "I'm sorry, Hojo, but I can't. I have a lot of catching up to do and I have to study for finals."

'He wants our mate! I told you!'

Sesshoumaru was having more trouble controlling himself now. The boy had very blatently shown his interest in his Kagome and he did not appreciate it a bit. For the human boy to completely ignore his presence was incredibly disrespectful, which only added insult to injury. When she grabbed hold of his hand his beast calmed at the contact and he found himself reassured just by her simple gesture. Now certainly the boy would realize his mistake and recognize that the miko at his side belonged to him and him alone.

"Oh, well I would be happy to help you out Higurashi." She watched as he slid his book bag off his shoulder and unzipped it, pulling out a folder which he held out for her. "I made sure to take very thorough notes this week. The teachers went over everything that will be on the tests. I made copies for you."

Kagome didn't know what to say. She really could use those notes and it was really sweet of Hojo to take them for her but what would Sesshoumaru think if she accepted them? He was still growling, though it had lessened in intensity when she took hold of his hand. Sesshoumaru was sitting closer to Hojo than she was so she would either have to stand and go to him or reach over Sesshoumaru. She would find some way to explain it to him, but she needed those notes! "Thanks a lot Hojo! The notes should make studying easier."

"Yes, they should. So do you think you would have a few hours for a date? Maybe I could take you out to dinner. I know this great restaurant where they serve only organic fruits and vegetables. They have great tofu too."

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Author's Notes:

Cystitis - Inflammation of the lining of the bladder, usually caused by an infection.

I was really surprised that I only got 5 reviews total for the last chapter. Not that I'm complaining, just curious why. I know with A Single spark down there's probably less readers, at least until they find it posted on one of the other sites. But was there a problem with the chapter? Or is it just the busy holiday thing.

I wasn't planning on putting this one up for a few more days but I like it so much I can't wait.

I was thinking about playing get to know your author (a game of my own not so original design). I was thinking that you guys could post any questions you have about me personally (not what's going to happen in the next chapter) in the comments section on myspace and I'll answer them in the blog. I spent most of the night last night right up til early morning messaging back and forth with a reader who I most definitely would now consider a friend, and she asked me some interesting questions, like how did I get hooked on Inuyasha, what made me decide to write a story, why I hate florida, all kinds of others too but I can't think of them off the top of my head. But anyway, I had a lot of fun and thought it would be nice for everyone to get to know the answers to any questions rather than me posting little bits here and there in the reviewer responses and answering the same questions over and over again. I don't know. What do you guys think about it?

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Reviewer Responses:

Mediaminer –

Ethereal Siren – Sure, full out challenge. I know you won't be able to predict it. I can't wait to see your thoughts on it once you read ch 57 though. If anyone can figure it out its you.

Syoze – Yes, Sesshoumaru will definitely meet Kagome's friends. Hojo's in this chapter. They will definitely be leaving the house. Haven't decided on lemons but its fairly likely that there'll be a lime.

Iloveprettysilverhair – Looking forward to another marathon message. It's so nice to have an adult conversation, an intelligent one at that!

Vixen PI – That's funny, ignoring your husband to read the new ch on the phone. I hope he doesn't get too jealous.

Vixen PI and Princess Kathleen - About the marks, they only work one way on Sesshoumaru at the moment since Kagome hasn't marked him, and her marks on the boys and Inu isn't anywhere near as strong along the lines of emotions, etc. And there isn't a link Sesshoumaru to the boys, besides the basic bonding between parent and child demons so they probably didn't notice he was because he came right back. Sesshoumaru would have felt the link cut when he made it to the future, cutting him off from Kagome. I just didn't specify.

Princess Kathleen – A frozen Sesshoumaru would be incredibly tempting now wouldn't it?! I didn't think the chapter was short. The word count has been staying in the same range not including the authors notes. Maybe it just seemed short cuz your read it fast? Eh, I dunno.


	57. Voices in My Head

**Chapter 57 – Voices In My Head**

Kagome's eyes widened. This guy just couldn't take a hint. She was sitting right in front of him holding another guy's hand and he still asks her out? Damn it! How could she make this any more obvious? She let go of Sesshoumaru's hand which caused the demon lord to take his eyes of his prey (read Hojo) and look at her in question.

Sesshoumaru was upset which wasn't something he was used to at all. Today was turning out to be a very stressful day, what with visiting a place you've never been that just happens to be 500 years away from what you're used to, meeting the family of the woman you want to mate, being overwhelmed with strange objects you don't understand, and now this. Now there was a boy, yes most definitely a boy, not a man, who was showing interest in his intended, his Kagome! While he didn't know what a 'date' was he didn't have to. He could tell by the scent of the boy that he was nervous and slightly aroused, along with the gift and mention of a walk in a 'park' or dinner. It sounded to him like the boy was attempting to court her! He had almost lost control and throttled the boy within an inch of his life but Kagome had saved him when she took hold of his hand. When she let go he didn't know what to do. His confusion didn't last long though.

Kagome pushed against Sesshoumaru's chest a bit, forcing his back against the back of the couch. Of course, he allowed her to move him otherwise he wouldn't have budged. Then she literally crawled up into his lap which made him very happy. Then she reached for the folder the boy had been holding out to her. Now he was upset again. Was she only in his lap so that she could reach the 'notes'? His question was answered when she shifted around a bit so her ass was more to the right side while her legs lay over his, her feet dangling over the edge of the couch. She leaned back into his chest and he found his arm automatically wrapping around her waist in a very possessive hold. He held his prize tightly to his body and his growl shifted into a purr, the sound of which nearly made her melt right there.

'_I told you our mate had no interest in the human boy,' _he said to his beast in a rather chastising tone, mentally of course. The beast should have known by now that she was his alone and that she was not only aware but agreed wholeheartedly. The beast growled at him but remained otherwise silent.

Once she was comfortable, which she took her good sweet time doing, she turned her attention once more to Hojo, who was standing there staring at her with a befuddled look on his face. If she had looked she would have seen Souta with a similar look as he had no idea that she and Sesshoumaru were together.

"Thanks so much for the notes, Hojo. I really appreciate the thought and all the time you put into it, but I can't…"

Hojo cut her off, as if he sensed the upcoming rejection. "You should know by now that I would do anything for you Higurashi. I'm sorry but I really should be going. I promised mother I would help her in the shop this afternoon after I visited you." Kagome moved to get up and walk him to the door but Hojo and Sesshoumaru both stopped her at the same time. Sesshoumaru refused to release his hold on her while Hojo spoke. "You don't need to get up. You should conserve your energy so you can get better faster. I can show myself out."

Kagome sat in stunned silence for a minute before shifting so she could look at Sesshoumaru. When she couldn't find a comfortable position he slid his hand under her ass and lifted her, lowering her so that she straddled his legs and could look at him directly. When he was finished though, he did not remove his hand. Maybe he was really turning into the monk. Souta continued to stare at them in shocked silence.

Kagome decided she should try to explain. He deserved to know what had just happened and she owed him an apology. She should have just come out and told Hojo that she was seeing Sesshoumaru but she was so used to making excuses she didn't even think of the obvious until now. "Sesshoumaru? That was Hojo. Do you remember when I showed you my birthday? The boy I danced with? I told you about how he's always asking me out but I'm not interested and he just doesn't get it. He's not a threat to you, I promise. He could **never** compare to you."

He smiled a genuine smile at her words. "What about the gifts? I cannot smell an illness on you."

"That's a long and embarrassing story. It's all Gramp's fault. He is always telling the school I'm sick with some horrible disease or another as an excuse for why I miss so much school. And Hojo always finds it necessary to bring me some cure or another. I'm sorry. I should have just told him that I'm with you but I'm so used to making excuses. Do you forgive me?"

He smirked at her. "What will you do for this Sesshoumaru to obtain my forgiveness?"

She leaned in close and softly pressed her lips to his. He was pleasantly surprised when she opened her lips slightly and trailed her tongue along his lips, initiating a passionate exchange. He squeezed her ass as she slid her hands up his chest, over his shoulders, and into his hair. Just as the kiss was getting **really** good there were voices originating from near the front door and coming closer. Kagome stiffened in his lap, freezing completely at the words.

"Kagome? You grandfather said we could come in," she heard Yuka call out. "Where do you think she is? Should we check her room?"

"It sounds like the TV's on in the living room. Let's check there first," Ayumi suggested.

"Kagome, we came to help you stu…" Eri's words caught in her throat as she laid eyes on her 'sick' friend with her arms wrapped around the most beautiful man she had ever seen, their lips still locked and Kagome's eyes shut tight as she tried to will the whole afternoon to be nothing but a bad dream. Yes, that was it! She fell asleep studying and none of this happened. No Hojo, no feminine wipes, no friends walking in on her making out with her sexy demon, none of it. She would wake up and be in her bed leaning on Sesshoumaru with her book in her lap. If only she could get so lucky. When she was finally brave enough to open her eyes she discovered that the Kamis had let her down. There in the doorway stood her three friends, all wide-eyed, mouths open in shock.

Deciding that since it really was happening and all she should probably deal with it, Kagome reluctantly pulled back away from the kiss. She turned to her friends with a bright blush on her cheeks. "Um… hi guys," she said, although it sounded more like a question.

"So that's why Hojo looked upset!" Yuka exclaimed rather loudly. None of the girls noticed as both Sesshoumaru and Kagome cringed slightly at the shrill tone. Thankfully when she continued on it was at a more normal level. "We passed him on the shrine steps and I was sure he looked kinda down but Eri said she didn't think so. See, I was right!"

"So Kagome, who's the hunk?" Eri asked, totally ignoring Yuka's outburst. Ayumi gasped at her friend's forwardness but in truth she wanted to know just as bad.

Kagome was still straddling her demon lord's legs, his hand retaining its firm grasp on her left butt cheek. She squirmed a bit in an attempt to stand but he refused to allow it, pulling her in even closer to him instead. Kagome sighed in frustration, shooting him a glare before turning back to her friends. "Guys, this is Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru, these are my friends Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi." While introducing each she merely pointed at them since she couldn't really move. "I wasn't expecting to see you guys today," she stated, attempting to hint subtly that she had no idea why they were there.

"Oh, well we wanted to come and help you study for exams. The teachers spent all week reviewing exactly what would be on the tests and since you've been absent so much we figured you could use the help," Ayumi offered.

"Thanks guys. I really appreciate you thinking of me. Hojo brought me copies of his notes but having you here while I go over them would be great. That way if there's something I don't understand I can ask, and you can let me know if Hojo missed anything." Sure, she didn't really want to have to explain Sesshoumaru to them but the damage had already been done. They were going to ask a million questions the first chance they got her alone, so she figured she might as well study with them. That's why she was here to begin with. "Why don't you guys go up to my room? I'll be there in a second, alright?" She watched as they very obviously reluctantly turned away from her gorgeous demon lord and headed to her room. Once she was sure they were gone she turned and glanced at Souta, seeing him giving her the oddest look. "Souta, are you alright?"

His sister's words broke him out of his stunned state. He had never seen his sister kiss a boy before, didn't think she even had yet! But apparently he was wrong since he had just watched his sister not only kiss a guy but really **kissing** him. "Does Mama know he's here?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Yes, Souta. She even bought clothes for him to wear while he's here. And yes, she knows about…" she pointed between Sesshoumaru and herself, not sure what exactly to call their relationship. She watched as Souta shook his head before returning his focus to his video game. She turned her head back to Sesshoumaru. Now it was time to deal with him. "You know you're gonna have to let me go. I really do need to study and they can really help." He didn't say anything. "You can stay down here and let Souta teach you how to play the video game. Inuyasha figured it out. I'm sure you could." He glared at her. "No, you are not going up there with me, at least not at first. As soon as I walk in there they are going to attack me with questions. Who you are, if you're my boyfriend, where we met, how long have we been together, all kinds of things. I have to let them get it out of their systems or they won't be able to focus."

Sesshoumaru understood most of her reasoning. There was just one thing he was unsure of. "What do you mean by boy-friend?"

Kagome smiled at him. Of course he would gloss over everything else and focus in on the one thing she wasn't sure what to do about. "Well, a boyfriend is what you call the boy you're seeing if you're dating exclusively. And the boy calls the girl his girlfriend."

"So what will you tell them when they ask if this Sesshoumaru is your 'boyfriend'?"

"I… I don't really know. I mean, you're not exactly my boyfriend. We haven't gone on any dates or anything. But you're definitely something."

"You are my intended mate."

"Yeah well I can't really tell them that now can I? Humans don't mate."

Souta had been listening to their conversation half-heartedly while playing his game. His mother knew so he couldn't blackmail her or get her in trouble so he wasn't really interested anymore. He spoke without ever taking his eyes off the screen. "Wouldn't mating be like getting married? So if you're his intended mate you're kinda like his fiancé. Tell them that."

Kagome's eyes widened as she turned to look at her little brother. "I can't tell them that! I'm not even seventeen yet! They would freak out if I called him my fiancé!"

"Well then boyfriend it is. Decision made. Problem solved. Now leave lover boy here so I can teach him how to play. I'm tired of playing alone."

Kagome let out a sigh. "Yeah, I guess your right. Boyfriend would be the best explanation for now."

"Why would your friends be upset by your being my fiancé?"

"Oh, well I know humans in your time get married young but in my time we don't get married until we're at least 18, later than that if you go to college. If I called you my fiancé they would suspect something."

"Like what?" Sesshoumaru asked with a raised brow.

"Like that you got me pregnant and have to marry me now, or something just as wrong and embarrassing. So from this moment forward I dub thee Sesshoumaru, my boyfriend." She followed her pronouncement with a kiss on the tip of his nose. "Now you have to let me go. If you want to come up later then at least wait until the kami-awful squealing has stopped." She saw the question he was about to ask in his eyes. "Trust me, I just know. There will be squealing, lots and lots of squealing."

Sesshoumaru gave in and gave her rear one more squeeze before releasing his iron hold on her, letting her climb off his lap. He watched as she walked away towards the stairs, her hips swaying in a very nice way. Once she was out of sight he turned and looked at the little boy who was now his only source of entertainment for the time being.

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The wind witch had returned once more and could be seen surveying the ground far below her as if looking for something. Of course, they knew what she was looking for…them. It was Kurai who decided to allow herself to be spotted. In less than a minute the large feather carrying two passengers landed a few yards in front of her. She knew to be wary. After all, this demon did serve the dark hanyou Naraku who was well know for his deceptions. "What is your purpose here? And why do you, a demon, bring with you a demon-slayer?"

Kagura smirked behind her fan. "Ah, straight to the point I see. Don't mind Kohaku. He knows when to behave. I have come to speak with you of an alliance. My Lord has need of several powerful demons and offers a more than generous payment."

"And just what is it he is offering?"

"Why power of course. Lord Naraku is very close to having the complete Shikon Jewel and when he does he will be hailed as the ruler of all Japan and beyond. If you were to assist him in his needs he would be willing to share such power. No longer would you and yours have to live in a dank cave in the forest. You would have the power to seize any castle that you wished for yourself and servants as well. Your clan could once again rise to its rightful place as a ruler of this land. If you serve under him Naraku would ensure that your every wish would be granted. He is even willing to share the wealth if you prove yourself worthy. Lord Naraku offers jewel shards to his most loyal followers."

Yuugure laughed as he stepped out of the shadows to stand beside his sister. "The hanyou believes he could rule all Japan? No respectable demon would allow themselves to be ruled by a filthy, weak, and pathetic half-breed."

Kagura kept her calm. "Perhaps. But the power of the Jewel of Four Souls is legendary and immeasurable. With it in his possession my Lord will find little resistance."

"He offers jewel shards? What task would he ask of us?" Yuugure's younger brother Higure asked as he appeared to materialize beside Kurai.

"My Lord has not informed me of the details. He has only asked that I find several powerful demons to assist him in his newest venture. He would like to meet with you to discuss the terms of a possible arrangement."

Shinya and her mother Kuroyuri stayed hidden in the shadows watching the exchange. Shinya found it rather odd that the young demon slayer did not move or appear to focus on anything as he stood behind the wind demoness like a statue. His eyes looked empty, dead, soulless. The boy gave her a bad feeling, something she had learned to trust. Her instincts had never guided her in the wrong direction before. She spoke lowly to her mother of her impressions and then watched as he mother strode forward, head held high, shoulders back, looking every bit as regal as if she were the Empress of Japan or one of the Lady's of the lands. She stopped slightly in front of her children to speak her decision. "We will meet with your 'Lord'," the word Lord said with distaste. "Inform him of our decision. We will be waiting at the edge of the cliff on the western side of the waterfall tomorrow an hour after the sun has set. He may speak his terms then and there." With her final words released to float on the breeze towards the two, the pack turned and disappeared back into the shadows of the forest.

Kagura pulled the feather from her hair, transforming it into the large almost boat like shape before they climbed in. Once she and Kohaku were flying high above the ground she laughed to herself. "Too easy. A little flattery and then offer them wealth and power and they would roll over to please you."

"Naraku will be pleased, though I do not trust them. Panther demons are not known for their trust in other demons. It is very likely they will betray Naraku once they have obtained jewel shards."

"Well I say let them. I don't see the downside. The bastard has less jewel shards and more powerful enemies. At least now he'll get off my back for a while."

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They had watched as the large feather floated away carried by the winds manipulated by the demoness. "We will see what it is he would ask of us as well as how generous he would be with payment. He is not to be trusted. Once he has spoken we will decide whether to join with him to obtain the shards or to kill him where he stands and take them ourselves."

"Yes Mother," was the murmured response from the four raven haired demons. After the meeting things would be different. Come tomorrow they will either be in league with the abomination or an enemy. Kuroyuri just hoped she made the right choice.

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Kouga was pacing and grumbling to himself, driving the others crazy. "Kouga, would you just sit down?" Hakaku nearly yelled before he froze, eyes wide. He hadn't meant to yell at Kouga. He just couldn't stand it anymore. The pacing, the growling, the random threats that kept escaping his alpha and friend, it was just too much. Hakaku slowly raised his head to see if Kouga was coming to kill him. He was probably in a bad enough mood to do it, too. Instead he found that Kouga had actually taken a seat with the others around the fire. They didn't really need it but the added light came in handy just incase the mutt decided to attack them during the night. Plus they were used to sitting around a fire and old habits die hard.

"Where in the hell could she have gone? I don't get it! She has to be with Sesshoumaru since he wasn't there with his little mongrels. What I don't get is why Inuyasha wouldn't be upset about it. He hates his brother so why would he allow him to disappear with my Kagome **and** leave his pups behind? Something's not right here, but I just can't figure out what the hell it is!" He had sent a few of the wolves to survey the area, checking for any clue as to where his Kagome had gone. They had returned with the odd fact that her scent ended at that well, the same one her scent had disappeared at the last time he had been looking for her. Only this time Sesshoumaru's scent was right along with hers, ending not near the well but actually inside it. Why would they go in a well? And how did their scent trails end? Was it some kind of spell? Kouga had been wracking his brain with all those questions and more for hours.

"Inuyasha said she would come back in a week. You can talk to her then. Until then if you keep worrying about it you're going to make yourself crazy," Ginta said softly.

"I know… Damn it I know but I just can't stand the idea of my Kagome off to Kami knows where with that prick! What the hell was that fucking half-breed thinking, letting her go off with him?!?"

"There wasn't any fear in her scent, no distress. They did sense a little sadness but if she had been taken against her will there would have been fear and anger, perhaps terror and desperation but none were present in her scent. It was still fresh too so it hadn't been too long since she left," Hakaku stated now that he was sure Kouga wasn't going to attempt to kill him for his disrespect.

"Yeah, you're right. I just can't stand having to sit here and **wait** for her to come back. She's **my** mate. She should be with **me**!" Ginta and Hakaku merely shook their heads in silence. They were both pretty sure that this wasn't going to turn out well for Kouga when Kagome returned. Chances were good that the demon Lord would return with her and from what they had heard last time; Sesshoumaru didn't much appreciate Kouga's presence. But of course they couldn't tell him that. Kouga would never believe that there was any chance that Kagome would not be his. They had to give him credit though. He knew what he wanted and damned if he wasn't persistent. If only he could see past his own arrogance and notice that Kagome didn't really seem interested at all in becoming his mate, but instead he would end up having to learn the hard way.

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Kagome sucked in a deep breath and steeled her nerves before opening the door to her room and stepping inside. She knew what was coming and she was as prepared as possible for the great inquisition, at least as prepared as she could be without earplugs. She slowly closed the door behind her before turning and facing them. Just the looks on their faces told her she was in for it.

"Why didn't you tell us about him Kagome?"

"Where did you meet him?"

"He is so cute! Is he the reason you keep turning down Hojo?"

"Does he have a brother or something?"

"Is he your boyfriend?"

"How long have you been together?"

"How old is he?"

"I can't get over seeing you kissing him like that! What ever happened to saving your first kiss?"

"Yeah, and what happened to that violent bad boy you were so stuck on. Is that him?"

"So how far have you gone?"

"Kami, he looked tall. Is he really tall?"

"How come we've never seen him around before?"

"Where have you been hiding him?"

"What's with the bags of clothes? Is he staying here?"

"Oh my Kami, is he staying in your room?"

"What was with the tattoos on his face?"

"Is he in a gang or something?"

"They make him look dangerous!"

"Did you see his eyes?"

"No, I didn't really get a chance, why? I bet they were beautiful!"

"They were so bright! I've never seen eyes like that before!"

"Is he a good kisser?"

"He looks like he would be a good kisser. Lucky Kagome!"

"Where is he from? He has the most amazing hair!"

"I know! What I wouldn't give to run my fingers through it. I bet it's like silk!"

"And he has to be built! He looks like he works out. I can just imagine that chest, all those hot, defined muscles! I'll bet he looks like a Kami with his shirt off!"

"He looks like a Kami with his shirt on!"

They had been going on and on, each taking a turn to fire a question or comment at her without giving her a second's chance to reply but they fell silent when they heard the strangest sound. Looking around the room and finding nothing they looked back at their friend. "Kagome, did you get a dog or something? I swear I just heard something growl."

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Downstairs Sesshoumaru was smirking. He could hear each and every word those girls, definitely girls, were saying. Apparently they thought he was attractive, but then he had already known that by the rush of scents that had flooded the room when they laid eyes on him. It was nearly impossible for him to believe that those childish girls were the same age as his Kagome. Sure, she could be silly at times but overall she was incredibly responsible, beautifully maternal and caring, and most definitely much more mature than the squawking girls would be even years from now. They were no better than Rin really, except for their very different view about males. Rin had yet to develop an interest in the opposite sex but these girls most obviously had. He was very interested when the room upstairs fell completely silent as he awaited Kagome's response. Sesshoumaru had to physically hold in the laughter that was fighting to escape him when he heard the last question. Apparently his Kagome did not appreciate their blatant attraction and interest directed at what was most assuredly hers and hers alone. She had growled at them just like an inu demoness would to threaten other females to keep their distance from their mate. That girl, no woman, surprised him each and every day.

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Kagome was doing her best to not tear her friends apart limb by limb. It was odd. She had never had such a strong desire to cause bodily harm to another but now the pull was nearly impossible to fight against.

'How dare they desire what is mine?'

_'What the hell was that? Where did that come from?'_

'We need to put them in their place, assert dominance, teach them that it is unwise to covet our mate.'

Kagome closed her eyes tightly and shook her head as if trying to clear it before waiting a moment to see if the strange voice returned. Great, now she was going crazy, hearing voices other than Sesshoumaru, Kazue, and Kirara in her head! And a voice with violent tendencies it seemed. Wow, she had **way** too many voices going on in there! When the voice failed to return and the urge for violence subsided she opened her eyes and looked at her friends who were watching her with concern in their eyes.

"Kagome? Are you alright?"

"Are you feeling ill? Do you need to lie down?"

Kagome shook her head once again. "No, I'm fine, really. Just a tad overwhelmed. You guys, how am I supposed to answer your questions if you don't let me squeeze a word in edgewise?" She watched as they all blushed in embarrassment as they realized just how they had been acting, each apologizing quietly. "It's alright. I'm happy to tell you about him and answer your questions if you give me a chance."

"We're really sorry about that, Kagome. It was just such a shock to see you like that. We were expecting you to be sick in bed," Eri said with her head down.

"It's complicated. So, where should I start?"

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Sesshoumaru had been worried for a minute there. He could feel her emotions and she was angry, really angry. It felt like she was just seconds away from leaving nothing but a bloody mess as final testament to the existence of her three friends. He could feel her fighting the urge to literally kill them when she was suddenly confused, incredibly confused. There was something wrong. Not only was she confused, she was also suddenly afraid, more afraid then he had ever felt her, even when the boar demon attacked her or when they fought the snakes and she was poisoned. It didn't make any sense though. He hadn't heard anything that could account for either emotion and he could sense no presence other then the three girls who he knew could never cause such a level of fear. No, his brave Kagome who had faced the most powerful and dangerously deadly demons in his time could never possibly be frightened by three human girls. He was just about to rush up the stairs when the feeling subsided. Now all that remained was residual confusion and some irritation. He listened as her friends inquired about her health, asking if she was ill which she merely brushed off. He could sense no illness and no danger so Sesshoumaru decided to stay where he was. He was quite interested in just what she would tell them about him and he was determined to hear every word. He would ask her later what had caused such a level of fear and confusion but for now he would sit back and listen as his mate spoke of him to her very excited friends.

Souta looked at the demon and sighed. Apparently he was more interested in gazing at the ceiling then playing video games. Whatever they were talking about up there must have been **really** interesting.

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"How about when you met him," Yuka suggested.

"Alright. Well, I met him a while ago, almost two years really, but I just recently got to know him better. He's Inuyasha's older half-brother and they didn't get along very well. They've made up now so I don't have to try to choose which is more important to me."

"Wait, so you're seeing them both?" Ayumi asked in shock.

"What? No! No, Inuyasha and I are just friends, have been for a while now. We never really had anything together. I just had a crush on him and I reminded him of his first love. Inuyasha's my friend but Sesshoumaru's my boyfriend."

"Whew! I was worried there for a second! So how did you end up getting to know him after all this time?" Eri asked.

"He needed my help with something and then we started talking. He admitted to having been interested in me from the beginning and the more time we've spent together the more I like him."

It was Yuka's turn once again. "Inuyasha is okay with you dating his brother?"

"Yeah. I think he actually prefers it rather then me dating just anyone. He knows Sesshoumaru is trustworthy and won't hurt me."

"That's so sweet! So how long have you been 'together'?" Ayumi asked while making air quotes at together.

"I'm not really sure when we went from being friends into something more. It was sort of gradual, you know? I didn't know it was happening until it was done and I was in love." The room erupted in excited squeals while Kagome cringed. Damn that enhanced hearing!

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The conversation was already getting interesting as she explained how they ended up together in a roundabout way. She couldn't really just come right out with it and tell them she lifted a curse and saved the lives of his seven demon sons. It was an odd but enjoyable experience, listening to her describe their relationship. When she said the words his heart nearly exploded and his beast howled in complete and utter joy. There was no 'maybe' or 'starting to' or even a speck of hesitance. She just outright confessed her love. She loved him, really and truly loved him. It was hard for him to not race upstairs and sweep her into his arm. He wondered if she realized he could hear everything that was being said. She probably hadn't even considered it, being used to having privacy in her room with the door closed. It would most likely dawn on her later. He may be in for it then but for now he was glad he could hear. The only way it could have been better was if she was held tightly to his body while staring into his eyes but he was more then satisfied at the moment with just the way it happened.

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Kagome had instantly regretted using the 'L' world as she found herself nearly deaf, ears ringing painfully. Really, was that really necessary? She'd only said she loved him. Wait. She just said, out loud with an inu demon with super hearing just downstairs, that she loved said inu. Chances were slim that he had missed it but, she figured, it would be easier to say to his face if she was sure he already knew.

"That's so romantic!" Eri said in a dreamy voice as she stared off into space, dreaming of her own Romeo. "Do you think he feels the same way?"

"He told me he loved me a while ago." There was a collective sigh as the three single girls wished for someone to love them like Sesshoumaru loved Kagome.

"What happened with Hojo before we got here?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Hojo brought me some remedies him mother suggested and asked me to a movie or a walk in the park. I told him no because I had to study. I don't know why I didn't just tell him I was seeing someone else. I guess I'm just so used to telling him no because of being sick or behind in classes. Then he gave me the notes and asked me to dinner! I think he got the point though because right when I was going to introduce him to Sesshoumaru he suddenly had to leave."

"He's liked you for so long and we've only made it worse by giving him hope instead of listening to you. I'm sorry we pushed you to go out with him Kagome," Yuka said solemnly and the other two nodded their agreement.

Their solemn apology didn't last long. "How old is he? I mean, he has tattoos. That's what they are, aren't they? So he would have to be older, right?"

Kagome thought for a minute. She would let them think they were tattoos so she didn't have to explain them, though she was sure they would want to know why he had them on his face of all places. She decided she would just pick a number since he hadn't told her is real age and even if he had she couldn't tell them the truth. Yeah, sure, my boyfriend is several hundred years old or more. That'd go over well. "He's 19, and yes they are tattoos."

"Is he in a gang or something? Why would anyone want tattoos on their face?"

"I think they look cool! They make him look dangerous," Eri admitted.

"No, he's not in a gang or anything like that. It's a family thing, like a rite of passage. I like them, personally. I think they're sexy."

"About that, how far have you two gone? Judging from what we saw earlier you've at least done some serious making out."

Kagome fought a blush at the thought of just how far they had gone. Once she had it under control she smirked at her friends, her look full of confidence. "I don't kiss and tell." She laughed as they grumbled their displeasure at her lack of sharing.

Giving in once they realized Kagome wasn't going to tell, Ayumi decided to ask a new question. "Where is he from? I've never seen anyone with hair and eyes like that. Or is it dye and contacts?"

"No, the hair and the eyes are all natural. It's a family thing too, hereditary. Inuyasha has the same coloring and from what I've been told so did their father."

"We noticed the bags. Is he staying here? Where is he sleeping?"

"Yeah, he's staying here. Today is the first day so I'm not sure where he's sleeping yet. Chances are though that he'll be in here with me. He likes to sleep with his arm around me. You know what? I've never slept better then when he holds me. I don't think I could manage to sleep without him anymore. Now that I've told you guys everything can we please start studying? I really need to go over everything."

"Sure thing Kagome. We can come by tomorrow and Sunday too if you want. Helping you out will help us remember things better, plus studying isn't as boring with a group. We could probably do couple hours after exams every day to prepare for the ones the next day too," Ayumi volunteered.

"Thanks guys. You're great. I hope you don't mind Sesshoumaru hanging around. He won't get in the way or bother us. He's really quiet most of the time. I can't just ignore him since he is here visiting me."

"That's alright! We can get to know him this way!" Yuka replied excitedly.

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Author's Note:

Kuroyuri – black lily

Yuugure – dusk

Higure – nightfall

Kurai – dark

Shinya – midnight

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Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Some interesting things are coming up, including a look into the mind of a dimwit, aka Hojo, and something a lot of you have been waiting for (no, not the lemon, though there is a lime). No, it's something that I was nearly begged for, and I hope you guys enjoy the way I did it. Sesshoumaru may seem a little out of sorts in the next few chapters, but he's under a lot of stress, being in her time, trying to figure out how to ask for permission to court Kagome, being surrounded by the unknown, etc. and it was necessary for the plan.

**Reviewer Responses – Mediaminer – **

Child of the moon – I was surprised too but you guys definitely told me I had no reason to worry with about 40 this time. I love facebook. I found so many old friends. The whole Hojo thing is going to get very interesting.

Bloodbunny – glad you liked it!

Fairy goddess – Honored to be your first review. Glad you're enjoying the story so far.

Rosymouse – How old is your daughter? Because it's going to be getting more explicit as we go along. I promise to see this fic through to the end, so no worries there. I reread the story too to make sure I don't contradict myself.

Syoze – glad to see you over here. Oh, Hojo is most definitely an idiot. I'm having a lot of fun with him in the next couple chapters.

Bettychan – Hojo is definitely going to be getting in trouble. I'm very excited about Sess in modern times. Have lots of ideas to use up. And Kouga should be fun too.

Blueyedtigress – I laughed my ass off when I read your review. Loved the accent! Hojo has no idea when to quit.

Kashuneko – Glad you care enough to bitch. No worries, there is a reason for Kagome's hesitation, more than just what she said in this chapter. A look inside Hojo's mind coming up.

Maddie50 – Yeah, pack bonding is fun. Just wait. You'll know why she didn't tell him soon.

Sesshys rose – Glad you're enjoying the story!

Cassandralynn30 – Glad you liked it. Clues incoming for both Hojo and Kouga, but maybe they'll duck.

Tixylix – Glad you're enjoying it.

Theblackangels – just wait until you get the look into hojo's mind. I couldn't stop laughing and I wrote it!

Brainshake – Glad you enjoyed the last couple. Like the shirt suggestion. I have a store on cafepress so I am always shopping there to use up my sales income. Husband loves them. That's where I browsed to find just the right one. Glad you liked the command choice! And I can't wait to see the fanart!

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**Reviewer Responses – - **

Everyone who reviewed, thanks! There were so many that I'm only going respond to those with questions or I'd never get to post this chapter!

Ingi-doo – There will be more fight scenes soon. I actually really enjoy writing them. Glad you approve of the pace. I refuse to rush. You miss too much that way. The panthers will become fairly important in a bit.

Bluemiko – He has to ask for permission to court her, then actually follow the courting steps before the actual mating, so it will be a bit.

Moonrosea – That was my favorite sentence. Sometimes I can't help myself and throw in something silly, but its fun that way. Hojo's idiocy will be explained soon. I'm having way too much fun with the last couple chapters. In my opinion these last couple and the next couple are the best so far. Yeah, poor Sesshy is nearly in a state of constant arousal. I'd be happy to make sure to post a chapter on your birthday, but you'll have to remind me closer to the day because Christmas is crazy and I know I'll forget. Don't wanna disappoint! I only have aol for messengers, CMK2CMM. My aol is on most of the time when I'm doing anything. Kouga's your dream date? Not so bad, but then I did get Sesshy after all.

Iloveprettysilverhair – Can't wait til you're back to write to me again! Damn the lack of technology. There will be more coming regarding the wipes, especially since Kagome just left that basket sitting there in the living room!

Mraestalyn – I'm glad you like all the things you mentioned. Such a nice review. I appreciate your support.

Rein phoenix – I completely agree. Not enough kag/sess without a dead or really mean/evil inu.

Carmmeldoll – Glad you could find me here. I can't wait til ASS is back up.

Ladygalree – I appreciate you taking the time to review. I understand completely how much easier it is not to.

Morgana – thanks for the flower. Oh, and your name, my next daughter will either be named Pandora or Morganna.

Lady renvel – Grounded from the computer blows! Thank kami I'm a grown up now, not that it stops my mommy from trying to tell me what to do. She always loses.

Airen2 – I'm honored that you considered me original enough to review. Hurricanes just add to the incredible suck of this state. God, I sound like I'm 12

Shintochick – The wipes will come back into the spotlight soon. Can't wait

Dancingdragons – Knowing that I sucked you in is more important than a review every chapter. Glad you like it.

Wendy aa – this chapter pretty much answered your questions!

Darke wulf – Honored that I rank high enough to grab some of your time. I know what you mean about not enough hours in the day, and I don't even leave the house!

Most unlikely angel – I firmly believe in taking it slow. More depth that way. So many chapter so fast was because for quite a while I was only posting on mediaminer and ASS. I added them here quickly to get it caught up. I've been working on this since September, though I do still update pretty quickly. I'm not out to get the most reviews or anything. They definitely make my day but I won't make people wait longer for updates just to get more. I'm too impatient for that. I can barely keep myself from posting every chapter that's ready all at once. (3 at the moment) Glad you like it!

Cocoke – thanks for sending the card. I'll let you know when it gets here. Glad you found me over here!

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For anyone who's interested, we've gotten 1 card from CA and a letter from UT so far.

'Til next time!


	58. Dark Thoughts and Demon Desires

**Chapter 58 – Dark Thoughts and Demon Desires**

Once the girly gossip was over and the actual studying began Sesshoumaru turned his attention to Souta once more. Immediately Souta was jumping up and attaching another controller to the system. He motioned for Sesshoumaru to sit in a chair closer to the TV and then launched into his explanation. Sesshoumaru wasn't really getting it but then he would never admit that, not when Inuyasha had been able to master this piece of modern technology. If his little brother could do it then damn it so could he! True, it was a little harder with just one hand but he was doing okay, at least he hoped he was. He was surprised at how patient the little boy was with his explanations. He had expected him to get frustrated, but then did say he's friends with Inuyasha. You'd have to be patient to claim that.

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After discussing their options for a while Miroku found himself walking down to the village to ask if Kaede was free for miko lessons. Inuyasha had suggested it, saying that they needed to find something to distract the children with. Miroku thought it rather odd that he was going to ask a miko if she could spare some time to teach eight demons, one hanyou, and one young miko how to use miko powers. Definitely not something he had ever expected to do but then nothing in his life had ever gone quite as he had expected it to, more so then ever once he joined up with this group. By the time he made it to the village he was so busy thinking about the kisses he had shared with Sango that he completely missed out on the chance to grope at least four very nice asses. The village women were stunned, relieved but stunned nonetheless. He poked his head around the bamboo curtain and Kaede, who was seated by the fire, motioned for him to enter.

"Why hello. What is it that brings ye here today, Miroku?" Kaede asked with a smile. He had never once made it all the way into her hut without at least one handprint or lump before. He must have finally told Sango his feelings. There was no other plausible explanation she could think of.

"Greetings to you as well Lady Kaede. I have come to inquire as to whether you could possibly come and assist the children with their miko training? Kagome and Sesshoumaru have gone to her time for the week and they are rather down about it. They miss her greatly and we were hoping training would help distract them from her absence. We figured it best to ask you to come to them rather then bring them to you, as the villagers might not take well to eight demon children and one little miko."

"Ah, I see. So Rin has come into her powers then?" Kaede asked with a knowing look in her eye.

Miroku looked surprised for a moment but then he understood. "So you knew all along then?"

"About the little ward of the demon Lord of the West harboring hidden miko powers greater than even my own? Yes, I did. There is much this old woman knows that I cannot yet reveal. Of course I would be happy to assist the children in their training." With that said, Miroku helped her to stand before the two began the walk to camp.

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Naraku was quite pleased with Kagura's success. She had not only found possible allies, or as he liked to call them, pawns, but she had convinced them to meet with him to discuss the desired arrangements. And they were definitely strong enough for what he intended to use them for. Five should be more than enough to separate the human hanyou from the miko, monk, and demon slayer. He didn't even bother worrying about the kit and the firecat. The kit always hid himself in the miko's hair during battles and the firecat might as well have been an extension of the demon slayer. While the others were busy fighting for their lives he would have the pleasure of killing Inuyasha with his bare hands. He chuckled darkly at the thought. Yes, this was definitely something he wanted to handle in person. Inuyasha had been nothing but trouble for him, even before he had offered his body and soul to the demons in exchange for power. The pathetic hanyou had not deserved the attentions of such a beauty as Kikyo.

Oh, Kikyo. He missed her. No, not exactly. He didn't miss her, more like he missed having her available to do his bidding and take care of his baser needs. Now all that was left was Kagura and he found her not worth the trouble. Sure, he'd taken her a few times but he might as well have been fucking a hole in the ground in the dead of winter. She did nothing but lay beneath him with a look as cold and hateful as any that had ever been seen from the Western Lord. Demons had been known to refer to Sesshoumaru as the Ice Prince? Well then Kagura was certainly his princess. Frigid bitch. But then she wasn't so cold to everyone. He knew she had her eye on a certain demon lord. He even knew that she had previously attempted to pay Sesshoumaru with jewel shards to kill him and set her free, but the inu turned her down. He found that incredibly entertaining. She believed herself to be in love with him and he refused to lift a finger to help her, even with the offering of Shikon shards to sweeten the deal.

Perhaps he would send her to a nearby village to bring him a new plaything. But human playthings were so delicate. They broke so easily. Kikyo's clay body was both delicate and strong at the same time. She did not bruise or bleed and the clay was hard enough that it could take a pounding, literally. Of course she did little to participate but that didn't bother him as he had spent so much time lusting over her in the past that his mind supplied more than enough images of her writhing in pleasure and crying for more, deeper, harder. And he loved giving it to her hard, as hard as she could take it, which was more then he had ever dreamed possible. So long as she did not receive a large wound that souls could escape from, she was fine. If only he could find another like her. Or a demoness. Now that was an intriguing option. Perhaps he could use one of the younger panther females as his new toy once their job was done. It wasn't like he intended to keep them around and they had to be idiots if they thought he would part with any genuine jewel shards, genuine being the key word of course. Black panthers were known for their beauty after all. Maybe he would give one of them a real jewel shard, tainted with his essence of course. Then he could have a nice demoness doll that would obey his every command and meet his every whim with as much enthusiasm as he desired her to have. She could be a pet, just like the boy. Naraku felt himself stir at the thought and began planning in earnest. He would have to be ready when the time came so he could claim his prize after defeating his enemy. Soon. Soon he would have a beauty to enact every dark fantasy his blackened mind could devise.

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After more than an hour of 'video games' which he found rather mind numbing, as well as hard on the fingers, Sesshoumaru decided he had left them alone long enough. He missed his mate and damn it she was only a few yards away. He refused to go without when there was no good reason to. With that in mind he excused himself from Souta and walked slowly and of course elegantly up the stairs. He paused for a moment outside the door, listening to see what it was they were studying.

Kagome had heard his steps coming up the stairs and smiled. She knew he was standing just outside the door. She could feel his aura already brushing gently against her own and she nearly trembled at the feeling. Kami, it wasn't fair! He didn't even have to do anything to get her excited! And he knew it too. That's was the worst part. He knew just how easy it was for him to push her buttons, the smug bastard. Her attention snapped back to her friends as they asked if she understood something. She nodded dumbly. Thankfully they were distracted from her inattention by the cause of her inattention as he opened the door and strode in confidently. Kagome watched as their eyes widened and their breath caught and for a moment the violent urge came back. He smirked at her from the doorway before closing it and moving to her side. As he laid his hand on her shoulder the desire for bloodshed ebbed back into nothingness. She nearly laughed aloud as he bent and picked her up from her seat on the edge of the bed in one smooth motion, her legs wrapping around his waist automatically. Their faces were just too much!

Amazingly none of them had noticed his obvious lack of limb, which she appreciated only for his sake. He didn't need them gossiping about something that she knew bothered him. But then she guessed it wasn't really so surprising that they had failed to notice it. They were all too distracted by his beauty. She felt rather smug herself for a moment. Yes he was gorgeous, yes he was strong, yes he was powerful, yes he was incredibly talented in **certain** areas, yes he was loving and surprisingly affectionate… and he was all hers. He sat on the edge of the bed where she had been seated a moment ago, turning so that she could still see her friends and her notes without leaving his hold. It was sweet really, how he wanted to be touching her all the time. She knew exactly how he felt. She had been feeling incredibly alone, almost like she was naked and vulnerable without his powerful body wrapped around her smaller, more delicate form.

Kagome cleared her throat to regain her friends' attention, pretending as if nothing at all had changed in the last few minutes. They all gave her shocked looks before realizing she wasn't moving and she wasn't talking about it either. Their disappointment was obvious. They were just dying to gossip some more but they couldn't gossip about **him** while he was in the room. Little did they know they might as well have because he had heard every word spoken earlier anyway. So Kagome sat on his lap, her legs around his waist but her body turned slightly to one side as they started to review once more. Sesshoumaru took advantage of her position by resting his cheek on the shoulder that was slightly closer to him. He closed his eyes and just breathed her in. He couldn't wait until these girls were gone. Too much had happened today and he needed reassurance. He needed her attention and affection to take away the residual discomfort from the whole Hojo debacle. He needed her to calm his nerves because he was still stressed about meeting her family. He hadn't yet been introduced to the old man but he knew from his earlier reaction that he did not quite approve of his granddaughter interacting with demons. He knew from her tales of her family and her time that there would more than likely be a sit down dinner with the entire family and himself and he wasn't looking forward to it. All in all it was just too much for one day and he couldn't take much more.

It was like she could sense his discomfort because only a few minutes had passed before she closed her book and announced her brain officially closed for the day. He smirked against her as he listened to them make plans for the next day before he reluctantly released her to show out her friends. When she came back up the stairs she was carrying a tray with two plates full of some kind of food, two glasses of water, and two cans of soda, something she had explained to him before. She almost dropped the heavy and off balanced tray when she saw him. He had pulled off his shirt and was laying flat on his back, with his arm folded above him and head resting on his hand. He had his left knee, the one closer to the wall, slightly bent and he looked incredible. His hair was spread over the pillow and the side of the bed as if he had swept it to the side before lying down and the silver strands absolutely sparkled against her pink comforter. Thankfully she caught herself in time and managed to set the tray on her desk before going back and closing the door. There was a small click that he hadn't heard before when the door was closed so he opened his eyes in interest, wondering just what she had done. He didn't see any difference but she saw the question in his eyes.

She smiled at him before slinking her way to the side of the bed rather seductively. He stayed perfectly still, just waiting to see what she would do. She knelt on the bed and crawled closer until she sat herself right over his lap, her knees still under her on either side of his legs. Kagome leaned forward, her hair falling to one side and sliding across his bare chest and drawing a shiver from his willing body. He stared into her heated eyes as they approached, wondering just what had gotten into her. Her hands landed on either side of his shoulders and she lowered herself until her breasts brushed against his chest and she could reach his lips with her own. She was torturing him! Her soft, sweet, hot, moist lips were just barely brushing his and every time he tried to move his lips closer she pulled back slightly. It was driving him crazy but he fought to keep himself calm and allow his little miko her fun. It was very interesting at the very least.

"Sesshoumaru…" she whispered against his mouth, her hot breath spreading its warmth across his cheeks.

"Yes, Ka Go Me?" he whispered back, emphasizing each syllable of her name in a husky voice. He smirked as he felt her entire body shudder against him.

"Why… are you so… irresistible… right now?" she asked in between kisses.

"You do not always find this Sesshoumaru irresistible?" he teased playfully.

She was almost panting above him now as she leaned down and slipped her tongue out, dragging it across the underside of his chin in a markedly inu gesture. He let out a purr at her seductive body language. He could feel his beast fighting to rise to the surface, also very interested in the human woman perched above him who was acting more and more like a demoness by the second. She nuzzled her face into the curve of his throat as he heard a purr in response to his own. It took a moment for his highly aroused brain to realize that she had just purred at him, the exact way a demoness would for her mate. Something odd was going on here. Sure, she had picked up a couple things, growling in frustration, inhuman hearing, even odd tree climbing skills, but she was like an inch away from actually speaking to him in inu. He pulled his hand out from under his head and cupped her cheek, making her look him in the eye. She had an odd, glazed look to her, like she wasn't really there, the very idea of which turned the heat off and dumped ice water down his pants. Something was wrong with her and he refused to take advantage of her while she wasn't herself. He carefully sat up, taking her with him so that she sat in his lap once more and he kept a gentle but firm hold on her face so she couldn't move or look away.

"Kagome?" he asked softly. No response. "Kagome?" he asked again, a little more forceful this time. Still nothing. He was getting really frustrated and worried now. 'Kagome, are you alright?' he asked through their connection. His answer wasn't quite what he expected. He could hear her laughing in his mind, not a something's funny laugh, not an evil laugh, more of a sultry laugh.

'What's the matter, Sesshoumaru? Do you not like it when your bitch is forceful?'

Okay, now that was **definitely** not a Kagome thing to say. Even though he was pretty sure she understood the whole female inu/bitch thing he really doubted very much that she would refer to herself as a bitch even before he ever did. While he was sitting there confused he failed to notice until it was too late that his beast was sneaking through his defenses. By the time he noticed he was locked inside, only able to watch as if from the sidelines as his beast interacted with 'Kagome', and he used the name loosely. She certainly wasn't acting like his Kagome. He had no idea what was wrong, but it seemed that his beast knew just what to do.

In an instant Kagome was pinned beneath him face down on the bed. Both of her arms were behind her back, her hands pinned between their bodies. Her head was tilted to one side and he had the wide expanse of her creamy throat between his teeth, holding tightly but not enough to break the skin. He watched in horror as his beast dominated Kagome in a way he had never intended to. He knew she was strong willed, hell he loved her strong will, and he would never desire to make her fully submit to him in such a way. He heard her growl angrily. His beast replied by tightening his hold, still not drawing blood but apparently causing discomfort because he heard her whimper in apology. Sesshoumaru was relieved when he felt his beast release her throat and gently lick the slightly angry skin in an act of forgiveness. He climbed off her slowly before pulling her limp body into his lap. Sesshoumaru noticed that her eyes were closed as his beast stroked her hair lovingly.

'_What is going on? What did you do to her?_' he demanded. His beast didn't answer but he could feel it slowly returning control. When he was completely free and the beast was locked and chained away once more he looked her over. There was no sign that he had even bitten her, no indents, no redness. He had been expecting her to be sporting a nasty bruise but he found nothing but perfect milky skin. She was still completely limp which had him nearly terrified for her. Whatever had happened, she was failing to respond, like she was completely unconscious.

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Rin had been the first to spot the returning monk with his honored guest. The little girl had brightened up immediately upon hearing the decision of the adults to go and retrieve the miko. She was so excited at the idea of real training that she had been standing at the edge of the camp watching and impatiently waiting. Her squeal announced to the others that Kaede would soon be with them. Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the little girl who was doing a cute little happy dance, but he couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face. She just reminded him so much of Kagome. Such little things make both of them so happy. The hanyou heaved a heavy sigh, not wanting to even think about how long it would be until he saw Kagome again. _'Hopefully she's having a good time and getting in her studying too,'_ he thought to himself before focusing on the boys, arranging them in a semi-circle around the log they had selected for Kaede to sit on. It was a nice big one so she should be comfortable or at least more comfortable then sitting on the ground.

Once she was closer Rin dashed over to the elder miko's side and took hold of her wrinkled and weathered hand in her own tiny and perfect one, walking alongside Kaede at her speed, not wanting to rush her new teacher. She showed Kaede just where they wanted her to sit before plopping down beside Shinji who elbowed her gently and shot her a grin. Rin was just too much fun to be around. She had the same ability to brighten a room, or clearing as the case may be, without even the slightest effort as their Mama. Her ever present happy attitude was slowly eroding their loneliness without Kagome's presence. It wasn't the same but it was the closest thing they had at the moment.

Kaede first asked them to show her what, if anything, they could do. Each tried their hardest at forming a barrier since there was no one in need of healing and apparently only Kagome was willing to bleed for their training so far. All the while Rin was chattering happily, explaining exact what her Mama, which made Kaede smile, had shown and told them. She got especially excited when she got to the part where she healed her Mama's arm and they discovered she had miko powers just like her new favorite person in the entire world who, of course, was Kagome. Inuyasha had sat down on the other end of the semi circle and was paying close attention, even if he was trying to look rather disinterested.

"Alright. Now that I know what ye can and cannot do we can start. The first thing ye need to be able to do is call upon your power, drawing it up from within you so that it is ready for ye to use." She led them in a sort of guided meditation, helping them each to look inside themselves and find their inner well of power. She explained to the demons, and one hanyou too since he now had full access to his demon abilities, that they would have two wells of power now, their youki and their miko energy, and that they could use this method to call upon either. The pups had not yet been taught how to draw out their youki without a focus, such as the acid whip, so this was entirely new to them, though it was something their father would have been teaching them soon. Sango and Miroku sat in a stunned silence, surprised at how calm and still the children were. Generally, teaching children how to meditate was not an easy task, be they miko or demon, but these children were beyond dedicated. They wanted to be able to show their Mama just what they had learned while she was gone, determined to make her proud of them. Of course, in reality she already was proud of them just the way they are but it was in their nature to want to be better, stronger, and more powerful, especially the pups. How could they not with Sesshoumaru as their father?

They practiced the meditations for a while before she led them in drawing their power to the surface. After several tries, a little encouragement, and a few suggestions, each one was able to draw their power into a hand, causing the hand to glow a soft pink for everyone but Rin, and Rin's a soft purple. They were all very excited when they all finally succeeded and nearly begged Kaede to teach them more. It was getting late though, and it was nearing time for dinner. Kaede promised to return tomorrow for more lessons before Kazue transformed into her larger form and lay down on the ground, allowing Kaede to sit side saddle before standing slowly and carrying the tired old woman back to her hut on the edge of the village. Miroku agreed to send Kazue to pick her up in the early afternoon the next day and either carry or escort her depending on how she was feeling that day.

The children ate their dinner while chatting happily about how exciting it was to be able to draw up their power and how they couldn't wait to show Mama. Hell, even Inuyasha was feeling rather proud of himself and that didn't happen to him too often, whether he deserved to or not. Bedtime was a little more difficult then usual but eventually they all settled down and Miroku read them a story from the book Kagome had brought for them. When he finished though, they wanted more. It didn't take long before the collective will of nine children overwhelmed the adults and one toad especially since he was the focus of their desires. Giving a huge sigh for his small body and shaking his little green head, Jaken moved closer to the pile of children on Kagome's blankets, all huddled against their only remaining comfort, a rather surprised hanyou. Inuyasha hadn't expected them to want him to sleep with them like he had while Kagome and Sesshoumaru were present but he could understand their reasoning and had surrendered without any fight at all. Secretly he was enjoying the comforts of being surrounded by his pack, and especially pleased that they truly saw him as such and not just a hanyou. Inuyasha was certain that it was all because of Kagome's caring influence. He looked expectantly at the toad who had been ordered to tell them a story about Lord Sesshoumaru. It seems he wasn't allowed the luxury of a story book. No, they wanted him to recall a past incident off the top of his shiny green dome without any warning.

Jaken thought for a minute or two until the whining and grumbling got so loud he couldn't think any more anyway and he surrendered, choosing the story of how he had come to follow his beloved demon lord. The children oh'ed and ah'ed when he told them of how beautiful and elegant Sesshoumaru was while defeating the entire enemy army that had been opposing his own toad army all because they refused to get out of his path. Inuyasha laughed, knowing that it was definitely something his brother would do. Then Jaken told them how he had abandoned his place as the leader of the surviving army to follow after the vision in white and red. Now it was Miroku and Sango's turn to laugh at the idea of the so obviously love struck Jaken dropping everything just to trail along after a taiyoukai who seemed to barely endure his presence as it was. How Sesshoumaru must have felt to have the bowing and groveling toad following along behind him all the while begging to be allowed to serve a noble and powerful demon such as he. It was a surprise that Jaken had survived just that short time, let alone the centuries since during which he has been a loyal retainer and servant.

Finally, when Jaken could no longer think of anything original to say and instead had been stuck on a loop about the great honor it was to serve the Western Lord, how regally his Lord carried himself, and how he held such great power that all demons that crossed his path bowed before him. That got old pretty quick and after about the third cycle they were begging him to stop. The little toad was both relieved and offended at the same time and found himself a spot under a tree to pout. The children, who had been fighting their exhaustion for no reason other than that's what children do, drifted off to sleep one by one until all that could be heard in the clearing was slow rhythmic breathing. After sitting in silence for a while, Miroku and Sango retired for the evening themselves, their sleeping mats much closer together than usual.

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It had been nearly fifteen minutes before he felt her move at all. She opened her eyes slowly and looked at him in confusion. Her voice was groggy when she finally managed to speak. "Sesshoumaru? What happened?"

"This Sesshoumaru is unsure. How are you feeling, Kagome?"

She thought about the question for a minute. "I feel fine. Just a little sleepy… but… how did I get here?"

Her question brought his worries, which had been slowly fading as she seemed alright, back to the surface again. "What is the last thing you remember?"

He watched her brows furrow with thought as he awaited her response. "I went downstairs with Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi to show them out. Then I brought dinner up. I remember setting it down but then… it's like there's… just nothing… there's nothing there. How did I get in your lap? Did I pass out?"

"This Sesshoumaru is not certain what occurred but you did not merely lose consciousness. You were acting strangely." He mentally debated for a moment whether or not to tell her about his beast. He decided against it. If she didn't remember and there were no physical signs of it then telling her would do nothing but give her cause to fear him and that was the last thing he ever wanted to happen. If the only woman who ever held no fear of him, instead trusted him, if she were to suddenly fear him like all the others his heart would break into irreparable shards, not so unlike the jewel she sought. No, he could bring himself to tell her. He didn't want her to be afraid of him or his beast. She'd never shown any signs before and he was praying that she never would. "You were acting strangely and when I questioned you about it you seemed… detached. I could not get a response from you before you went limp and appeared unconscious." It wasn't really a lie, was it? **She** hadn't responded at all because he was certain whatever had replied wasn't her. He just left a few things out. That was alright, wasn't it? He wasn't sure but he stuck to his decision based fully on his uncontrollable fear of her coming to fear him or his beast, or both.

"That's… weird," was all she could say for a minute. "So how long was I out?"

"About a quarter of an hour."

"Shit!" she cried out as she bolted upright.

"What?" he asked, his eyes wide with worry at her outburst.

"Dinner! It's got to be cold by now!"

He fought and lost, finding himself rolling his eyes in a **very** undignified manner. "Is that all? Kagome, I do not care about the food. I care about what happened to you. It was very odd and I know not what to make of it. Are you sure you feel alright?"

She gave him a 'well, duh' look for a second. "Yeah, I'm fine. No worries! Now let me go so I can get the tray. I'm hungry!"

He looked her over with suspicion, not at all convinced by her peppy attitude. With a quick test sniff to check for anything off in her scent he finally released her, allowing her to slide from his lap and retrieve the tray of now cold dinner.

"I had a feeling you had enough new things in one day so I brought dinner up instead of having to sit at the table with my family. Maybe tomorrow. Here… try some."

He looked at the foreign food on her plate with a wary eye. What in the hell was that anyway? He'd never seen anything quite like it before. It was fairly flat and in a roughly triangular shape. By scent he could identify some soft of cheese, the scent of tomatoes, and some as of yet unidentified meat. It didn't necessarily smell **bad** but it was just so odd looking. She laughed at the face he was unknowingly making, drawing his attention back to her.

"It's called pizza. It's really good." He watched as she took a bite, the cheese stretching between her mouth and the odd food item she held in her hands. He watched her poke the last remaining strand of cheese until it let go and flopped down to land on her chin. Just then she made the cutest face as she frowned while trying to do the impossible and see the food on her own face. He leaned in, cupped her cheek, and licked the sauce and cheese from her chin. It wasn't half bad, though it was greatly improved by the addition of his favorite topping, miko. The taste of her skin could make anything palatable. She giggled at him a little, embarrassed by his action, before holding her slice out and demanding he take a bite. He grudgingly obliged and found that it actually was pretty good, even without the miko.

She made a point of demonstrating how to hold this 'pizza' before taking another bite of her slice and watching as he picked up his own, doing his best not to get it all over his fingers. When he took a bite he was still so focused on keeping the sauce from his graceful fingertips that he totally missed the giant glop of sauce topped with a slice of pepperoni that landed with an audible splat on his chest. He froze completely, just as he would have had she spoken the word, unsure of what to do. He was not only surprised, he was embarrassed. Really, he was a demon **Lord**! He should be able to eat without needing a bib! Her eyes widened as she took in the sight, unable to contain her laughter. She could see that he was going to stand, to do what she had no idea, and before she had even thought about it the word slipped from her lips, "Freeze!"

How dare she! How dare she freeze him, especially at a time such as this? What did she intend to do? For a moment he was slightly horrified by the thought of her retrieving her camera and memorializing this momentously embarrassing occasion. If he could have glared and furrowed his brows he would have. Instead he could only watch as she reached forward and plucked the slice from his hand, set it back on the plate, and slid the tray out from between them.

Kagome wasn't sure what she was doing but she just felt drawn in. She couldn't help herself. Once the tray way clear she gently took hold of his hand and pulled it towards her, his locked muscles giving absolutely no resistance as she posed his body at her whim. She could see the discomfort and anger in his eyes but it was swept away by a burning wave of fire making his bright golden orbs resemble bubbling pools of the molten precious metal, all by a little flick of her tongue. She sucked his fingers into her mouth one by one, carefully ridding them of any evidence of the greasy, extra saucy pizza. She watched his eyes the whole time, well, in between moments of closing her eyes in pleasure at the taste and the heat in his gaze as he watched her intently. When they were all sufficiently cleaned she glanced down at the mess on his beautifully muscled and still bare chest, besides the sauce and pepperoni of course. She crawled closer in a very feline manner, her back arching slightly before pushing him back so that he was about halfway reclined and leaning on the headboard of her bed. Kagome shot him a playful smirk before bending down and lightly grazing her teeth along his hot skin until she reached the little circular topping that had so offended him by marring his perfect appearance. She pulled it into her mouth and quickly chewed and swallowed before she continued in her self imposed clean up duty, dragging her tongue upwards across his flesh over and over, well past when the sauce was gone, her tongue bravely traveling to previously unexplored territory. She deliberately looked him directly in the eye while sliding that tongue he so wanted in his mouth right now over his right nipple. If he could have moved he would have arched and moaned whether he wanted to or not but all he could manage was a very pleased purr.

A thought struck him then about how similar this situation was to the one that had troubled him not more than half an hour ago and he had to find out. 'Kagome?' She looked back up into his eyes before sweeping her tongue in a circle around the already teased nipple, dragging another purr from his otherwise paralyzed form. Once he could think again he continued. 'Kagome, say something to me.'

'Like what?' she replied mentally before slowly moving her torturous explorations to the other, previously unattended, side of his pale chest.

'No, Kagome, say something out loud, please!'

The worried tone of his voice in her head made her pause and fully look at him. "Why? Do you want me to stop?" she asked aloud in a pouty voice.

'Kami, no. No, you are more then welcome to continue,' he replied, relieved that she seemed normal, or at least as normal as a Kagome turned sex kitten could be. But what was important was that this time it was really her. Whatever had happened earlier wasn't giving a repeat performance and for that he would be eternally grateful.

He watched as she smiled beautifully for him before leaning up and planting a soft but lingering kiss to his lips before whispering against them, "my love."

It was a challenge but he managed to keep himself still once he was released from her spell, at least for a minute. He kissed her back passionately before dragging her back into his lap with her legs on either side of his waist. His hand rested on the back of her neck, his fingertips in her silky hair as he let all his frustrations from the day out into that one kiss. When he finally released her lips she was panting for air and looking dazed, but in a fully different and much appreciated way. In less then a blink of an eye he had her on her back beneath him, legs spread wide allowing him to rest comfortably between them. "You… my little miko… are… a… tease," he mumbled against her skin as he kissed, licked and nipped at her throat and what shoulder he could get exposed by dragging the collar of her shirt to one side. "And I… most definitely… approve." He shot a glance at the tray still holding two plates with half eaten slices of pizza on them. "Your 'pizza' did you call it? While tasty it is just not what this Sesshoumaru is **craving** at the moment." Her eyes rolled back in her head as he continued the delightful torture, exacting his revenge on her in the best way possible.


	59. In Your Eyes

**Chapter 59 – In Your Eyes**

Kagome was in heaven, or at least closer than she had ever felt possible. Never had she imagined that his mouth could feel **quite** so **good** and he hadn't even made it to the really good parts yet! As he continued his sensual attack on her throat she just let her head roll to one side and let out soft little breathy moans that served well to encourage him on. The feel of his weight resting on her was strangely enticing, being pinned and helpless beneath a big strong demon incredibly exciting. She groaned in disappointment as he lifted himself off of her body, abandoning her still tingling throat and shoulder. She was still too dazed to pay attention to what he was doing so she totally missed it when he moved the tray to the floor so that the whole bed was free for his upcoming actions. She barely registered when he lifted her up off the bed, turning her completely around so that her head rested towards the top of the bed rather than the foot. Her head was resting on her pillow, or at least she thought it was her pillow until she realized that her pillows were nowhere near this soft.

She found out rather quickly that her head was in fact resting on a loop of mokomoko when both ends crept down her sides until they found the bottom of her shirt before turning around and slithering up along her bare skin beneath the fabric that covered her from his eyes. Sesshoumaru stood near the side of the bed watching with a smirk as she shifted continuously under the assault of his fur. The ends of mokomoko teased the skin of her stomach and chest, brushing against the tops of her breasts making her let out the cutest little sounds of pleasure that heated his blood even more. Less than a minute of mokomoko's slithering and teasing was all it took before she got frustrated and sat up, pulling her shirt over her head in one smooth motion, tossing it across the room to bounce of her closet door and hit the floor before laying back to continue the exquisite feeling. He had to hold back his laughter as his plan proved successful. With just a bit of concentration he sent the ends down her sides, slipping under the waistband of her shorts, immediately returning to it previous activities in a new location.

Kagome couldn't think about anything but the feel of the softest fur caressing her hot skin, sending shivers throughout her body and an incredible feeling of need to one specific location. It couldn't move enough, couldn't reach the places where she really wished to feel it, and without even thinking about it her shorts went flying, landing beside the previously discarded top. With Kagome left in just a cute little bra and panty set, a brilliant blue so similar to that of her eyes, Sesshoumaru felt that his goal had been reached. She had undressed herself for him without him ever touching her, so long as you didn't count his sneaky, slithering independent appendage/youki storage device. Mokomoko began just the lightest touch along the insides of her thighs, encouraging her to open her legs once more.

Suddenly there was once more a demon lord between her legs, holding his upper body off of her with his arm. "Kagome," he whispered against her ear. "Open your eyes for me, love." He watched her face as her beautiful windows into her very soul opened for him. "I am very much going to enjoy this." Before she had a chance to protest, which she wasn't sure she would have done anyways, his lips covered hers, kissing her thoroughly and passionately before starting his descent. He left her panting for breath as he kissed a trail down the beautiful curve of her throat to between her perfect breasts, still covered in shiny blue silk, before using the tip of his tongue to trace the edges. He could see her nipples tightening as firm little peaks pushed against the fabric. He knew what she wanted, what her body was begging for, and he planned on giving it to her… eventually. Sesshoumaru kissed and licked, nibbled and teased her stomach and around her breasts while mokomoko continued to slide softly along her outer thighs since his body was still pressed against the inner. When his mouth moved lower to trace the outline of her panties, mokomoko took up the task of teasing the upper body once more. It was like two different beings were worshipping her body at once, and in reality it was pretty close to that as Sesshoumaru had long ago surrendered control of mokomoko to its own whims, the length of fur now moving on its own.

"Sess… Sessho… Sesshou…maru," she moaned out. "Stop… teasing me… damn it!"

He looked up, locking eyes with her own before dragging his tongue across the silk that covered where the ache was the worst. She arched against him and gasped. He didn't do it again, instead watching as she regained control once more before speaking to her. "Tell me what you want, Kagome, and maybe I will do it for you."

Kagome glared down at him before growling in frustration. She couldn't say that! Hell, she couldn't even think it without blushing and he wanted her to say it out loud? "Sesshoumaru… please… I can't… I…"

"Does my little miko not know what she wants? I find that difficult to believe. Or is it that you just cannot tell me?" He smirked at her before once more dragging his tongue along the soaked silk, savoring the taste of her, even if it was currently muted by the barrier. "Is that it?" He moved higher, kissing a line towards her navel. "Or is it this?" He continued his ascent, catching a silk shielded peak carefully between his teeth and giving a gentle tug, ripping a gasp from her sweet lips. "Or do you prefer something more like that? How can I pleasure my mate if she will not tell me what she enjoys?"

"You're a bastard. I hope you know that."

"Perhaps." He moved up to kiss her lips, her arms wrapping around his neck in an attempt to keep him close to her. The feeling of his bare chest against her mostly exposed skin was something she wasn't ready to give up yet. "But is it wrong for me to wish to know what you like?"

Kagome let out a sigh. "No, I guess not… but… I just… can't."

"So modest still, little miko?" He smiled at her blush. "So I see. I suppose I can let it go… just this once." The next thing Kagome knew Sesshoumaru was on his back beneath her, his hand on the small of her back. She looked up at him in confusion. How the hell he managed to roll them so quick was a mystery to her. She'd never get used to the whole demon speed thing, but it definitely kept things interesting. She was gazing into his eyes when she felt his hand begin to move, lifting so that just the tips of his claws just barely touched her, tracing her spine until they reached the clasp of the little blue thing he was getting tired of. He smirked triumphantly when he felt it release on the first try, letting the loose ends fall to her sides, the straps loosening and half sliding off her shoulders.

"You look pretty pleased with yourself, mister," she said playfully.

"Why would I not? It is nearly time for me to claim my prize."

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Myouga had been traveling for days. It was really hard to get around when you were quite as small as he. Even though he hitched a ride it was still difficult to make sure his 'ride' was heading in the right direction, especially if they didn't know they were currently transportation for a flea. He'd started out on a plain old crow. No demon crows for him. No, he'd tried that once before and found himself in a rather disturbing situation.

Demon crows are known for killing their human prey, burrowing into their chests, and commandeering the slowly rotting body all the while feasting on the innards of the reanimated corpse. Well, Myouga had fallen asleep hidden among the feathers of a demon crow during a rather long trip. When he woke he found himself unable to see or even move very much. He fought his way through the feathers until he reached the outer layer, where he should have reached fresh air and the evening sky. That was most definitely not what he found. Instead he found himself in a warm, sticky mess that smelled distinctly of human blood and death. When he finally realized what had to have happened he panicked. He was too small to fight his way out from deep inside the chest cavity of a dead human. He would end up drowning in the pooling blood which was beginning to congeal, making it all the more treacherous, a bloody version of quicksand. He was certain he was going to die. He could see no other options, as the crow would not leave the host until it was done with it or it was forced out.

Myouga had remained hidden in the sticky feathers, hiding as close to the demon bird's skin as possible and using the feathers as a shield from most of the gore. The smell grew increasingly worse as the days passed and the dead human bandit rotted in the summer heat. He listened to the conversations going on around the host from inside the host to pass the time so he had come to learn that he was currently trapped inside the leader of a group of bandits. The crow demon, through the bandit's body of course, ordered his men to kidnap an oddly dressed but pretty girl from the nearby village and bring her to him. He wondered what the demon was after, what he wanted with the girl, but decided it didn't really matter either way. It wasn't like he could save her even if he wasn't trapped. So he stayed, feeding occasionally off the blood of the crow that was completely oblivious to his presence, the benefit of being so small and thus having such a very small amount of youki which made him nearly impossible to detect.

It was getting to be unbearable by the time he heard the voice of a frightened girl from the outside of the body. There was talk of a jewel of some kind which confused Myouga since the only jewel that was even slightly similar to what was being described had been banished from the living world fifty years ago with the death of it's protector. There was a commotion. It seemed that the crow was nearing the end of his stay in this body because he appeared to be having difficulty controlling it. There were surprised yells from the followers as the corpse apparently mistakenly attacked his own men in an attempt to kill the girl. Never had Myouga been so relieved and confused at the same time as he heard another voice, a very familiar one. But that wasn't possible. He hadn't heard that voice for fifty years and it was very likely that he would never hear that voice again. But when the girl, who had somehow managed to survive, called out the name that went with that voice he was shocked. Could it be true? Could his master Inuyasha really have been awakened somehow? He would have to inform Lord Sesshoumaru immediately! If he managed to get out of here alive that is.

He heard as Inuyasha asked the girl where the jewel was. Apparently her answer, which was too low for him to hear clearly through all the rotting flesh, was not what Inuyasha was hoping for because he called her a stupid girl before calling out the demon. He of course had known by scent alone that the bandit's leader was dead, had been for many days, and thus had to be controlled by a crow demon. There was a short fight before the crow gave up trying to control the ready to fall apart body of the host and made a run for it. Suddenly there was sunlight peeking through the matted feathers and the little flea fought his way to the surface in an attempt to finally reach fresh air and get the hell off this ride! He nearly laughed as he heard Inuyasha cursing and yelling threats as he chased after the flying demon. Having had enough, Myouga took his leave, jumping safely to a treetop from which he could hop down branch by branch to find a new host… after a bath.

It was days later when word finally reached him as he was trying to make his way to the Palace Moon to speak to the Western Lord. The jewel that he was certain was gone forever had somehow returned and had been stolen from the dead miko's reincarnation by a crow demon who attempted to escape with it and a village child. Like he hadn't just eaten! The gossip among demons throughout the land was that in an attempt to purify the demon and retrieve the Shikon jewel, the strangely dressed young miko shattered the jewel into an unknown number of shards that had been spread throughout the land. The little flea was shocked as he realized that he had been present during the incident, and had jumped just in time to avoid purification and the scattering of the jewel shards.

Needless to say, the flea who considered himself lucky to be alive swore off traveling on crow demons for his unnaturally long, if not eternal, life. Now he stuck to regular, non-demonic crows. The crow he had hitched a ride on after he left Kagome had headed south for some time which was just where he was heading, but when it turned to the east he had to disembark and find another lift. This time he ended up on a cute little neko who seemed to be in a hurry headed perfectly south west. He had a very uneventful trip, at least until the kitten found who she had apparently been looking for. She had been separated from her mother during an attack by a large bear, her mother ordering her to run while she held back the attacker. Thankfully her mother had survived, at least by the scene she had found when she bravely returned to the place the bear had blindsided them in. She and her mother had a designated place where they would meet if they were ever separated, which was basically the reality of life in this day and age. When the kitten found her mother, she was immediately drawn in for a bath, and Myouga, who was rather frightened of being accidentally eaten during a tongue bath, immediately abandoned ship, or kitty, as the case may be.

Now he was riding the back of a fire rat that thankfully was returning to his nest which Myouga knew to be very close to his final destination. Fire rats loved heat and so they almost always nested around natural sources of excessive amounts of heat, especially towards the peak and around the vents of volcanoes. Hopefully this one's nest was located near the home and workshop of the demon that he was to give another message from Misaki. He hated hopping around up there. He always ended up burning his little feet.

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His hand slid slowly down her back, trailing a curvy line from one side to the other all the way down until he slipped his hand under the edge of the blue panties that still covered her. He gave her ass a soft squeeze before making good use of his long arm as his hand slipped lower, allowing his fingers to brush against the moist treasure he was searching for. Kagome let out an "mmmm" as he slowly slid his long, elegant finger between her folds, dipping into the essence of her that he so craved as he lightly caressed her. She felt him begin to withdraw and whimpered at the loss of sensation. The little whimper was like music to his pointed ears. He wanted to hear it again so his finger returned to its previous location once more, this time making sure to graze her clit before pulling back once again. She didn't disappoint him as he heard another sweet, desperate little whimper. She gave him a pleading look, begging him to continue, to touch her again, but instead he brought his finger to his lips to taste her. She watched, enthralled, as he licked his long digit clean of the obvious moisture while purring at the perfection of her flavor.

"Sit up for me, Kagome," he said in a low voice. She obeyed and lifted herself, losing her bra completely on the way up as he had caught a finger under the front and pulled it from her. She settled against him sitting on his lap again, her legs folded under her on either side of his legs. She moved a bit, trying to find a comfortable position but instead discovering just how aroused he was. She pushed herself against him, ripping a groan from his sexy lips. She loved how he looked just then, the pleasure in his eyes, mouth just slightly open with a fang peeking out over his bottom lip. He was like her own personal Adonis. She found her hands moving of their own volition to the top of his chest before dragging her nails down his pale skin, leaving ten red lines in their wake. This time the moan was deep in his throat, mixed with a purr of appreciation. "Again," he half ordered, half begged.

"Like that, do ya? Hmmm." She leaned forward again, this time grinding herself into him while dragging her nails down his chest a little harder. Kagome was pleased with the result as his hips thrust up against her out of his control and he moaned for her again. His hand moved from where it had been resting on her hip to slip between their bodies, pressing his fingers roughly against her clit making her grind even harder against him. He tensed as he felt a sudden spike in her power all around them, not knowing what had caused such a reaction. The pure magic burned against his already overheated skin, the slight pain only exciting him more. He loved the feel of her power, her own strength, the deadly purifying energy dancing across his flesh. His eyes rolled back in his head as the sensation that encompassed his entire form was joined by her rolling her hips while her hands stayed planted on his abdomen, nails digging in slightly, the muscles tightening under her palms. Just when he thought he was sure to explode she stopped moving and the sizzling magic in the air shifted until it formed a shining orb surrounding the entire bed. She had erected a barrier around them without any conscious thought, which surprised them both. She gazed at the newly formed wall of energy. "I… did I do that?"

"Yes my miko, you certainly did." He inspected it for a moment, pushing against it with his youki to determine its attributes. "Hmm. It is sound-proof. Were you planning on making a lot of noise?" he asked with a smug smirk.

"Hey now! I didn't mean to do it! It just happened!"

"My powerful little miko, have I ever told you just how your magic feels against me? What just the slightest hint of it does to me?" He gave her a heated look. "It is even more effective then a growl."

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Kagura wanted to scream. He was just disgusting! Naraku had sent her off to retrieve a witch from her hidden cave in the mountains a bit north of the castle he called home. Usually he didn't bother telling her what he was planning, just ordered her to do whatever he needed for his next vile plot. This time however, he had taken the time to fill her in on just why he needed this witch. She had retrieved the wrinkled and obviously ancient woman once before, and for a similar purpose. She had been the one to craft the counterfeit jewel shard using Naraku's miasma, the one that he used in an attempt to get Kouga and Inuyasha to kill each other. That night still haunted Kagura. So many men died at her hand. The wolf demons were lured to another abandoned castle, a smaller one of a lesser lord this time, with rumors of jewel shards. Once they had arrived she slaughtered them all. She didn't like killing if it wasn't necessary. Sure, if someone attacked her then she would defend herself, but she despised the idea of killing for sport or personal gain. She was the wind, blowing by everyone else as they lived their lives, passing through but never meant to leave a permanent impression.

Once they had all been killed she had used her Dance of the Dead, something she wished she had never learned, to send one wolf demon to Kouga with a fake jewel shard and the tale of an attack on his men. Of course Kouga had raced to the attempted rescue of his pack members. While Kouga was on his way Inuyasha and his group had shown up, investigating the source of the heavy scent of blood. Once again she had reanimated the dead, all of them this time, sending them to attack Inuyasha. He had been forced to fight them or die, though he realized that they were already dead once he laid eyes on her. She succeeded in covering him from head to toe with the blood of the wolves, his claws and his sword stained with the 'evidence' of their slaughter at his hands.

When Kouga arrived he was thrown into a rage by the sight of his dead comrades. He had put the 'jewel shard' to good use by placing it in his arm somewhere along the way. He assumed, of course, that Inuyasha had killed all the wolf demons that lay scattered around the front courtyard of the castle just has he had been intended to. Kouga fought Inuyasha like he never had before. It was no longer a semi-friendly rivalry. Now it was revenge for the dead. Not even Kagome could get through to the wolf prince. During the fight, Kouga used the power of the fake shard to enhance his hits on the hanyou, also activating the release of the deadly miasma into his system. Finally he could be stopped long enough for Kagome to save him from the poison and make him believe that it had not been Inuyasha who had killed his comrades at all, but her, Kagura. Ever since then the wolf had been after her head. It didn't matter that she hadn't wanted to do it. It didn't matter that she was nothing but a slave to Naraku's will and that it was by Naraku's orders that his men had died. He vowed to avenge them by killing her and she was worried that someday he just might succeed.

This time the witch was going to make several more fake shards that were to be given to the panthers, ones that would poison them once their usefulness in his plot against the hanyou turned human met its end. That wasn't the part that disgusted her though. No, that was normal, expected even. No, it was what the witch was to do with a genuine jewel shard that made her want to wretch. He wanted the witch to taint a shard with his essence, making it so that he could control the victim, as Kagura would think of her, making them a slave to his will with no thought of their own, similar to what he had done to the boy. Perhaps if he knew that he had failed with Kohaku and that the boy had been faking it for all this time he wouldn't attempt it again. He wanted her to make this tainted shard that he intended to give to the youngest female of the panther demons, while the others he would give the counterfeits. He planned to make the beautiful demoness not just his slave but his sex toy, a woman he could control completely, as if she were a doll. And one that would 'last longer' as he put it. Naraku was not a gentle lover. Hell, he wasn't a 'lover' at all. He was nothing but violent during sex, finding joy in causing pain. He liked to watch the woman cry and bleed and beg for him to stop, and human women just didn't survive long enough for him to be fully satisfied. At least he had stopped coming to her. Kikyo had kept him busy for a while, but with the undead miko gone Kagura supposed she should have been expecting this.

So she was now being forced to be a part of the despicable plot to basically kidnap and rape a young demoness, and with her under his control he would force her body to react as he wished it. It was disgusting, the whole idea, and to actually have a hand in it made her disgusted with herself as well. She knew what it was like to be with him and she wouldn't wish that on her worst enemy. Actually, scratch that. She would wish that only on her worst enemy. It would be fitting for Naraku to be raped and abused by someone just as sadistic as himself, but then the sick bastard would probably enjoy it. If only she could find some way to warn the panthers, but then she would only be punished for her failure to find him 'assets' and sent out to try again. Either way someone besides her was going to end up hurt. She hoped that the panthers' suspicious and distrusting nature would somehow protect them from his wicked plans, perhaps even making him their enemy instead of temporary ally. The more demons who wished to kill him the better. If only she could find a way to bring all of his enemies together. If everyone who considered Naraku an enemy all attacked him at the same time he wouldn't stand a chance. Even better still if he was caught off guard when they 'somehow' found his hidden lair.

Her daydreams ended when she finally caught sight of the flicker of firelight coming from somewhere in the rock wall before her. Following the light, Kagura completed her task, bringing the creepy old witch to Naraku who merely smirked at her upon her return.

He had told her his plans on purpose of course. He loved to watch her buried under her own self-hatred because she valued her life more than the lives of others when she obeyed his commands. It would be so very entertaining. He knew Kagura was disgusted by his plan and that only encouraged him. He had made a bit of an addition to his plan just recently. He planned to chain the wind witch to the wall of his chambers and make her watch as he made good use of his new toy over and over again. Kagura was sure to enjoy the show.

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'No more teasing!' his beast snarled in his mind. 'Now! Taste her now!'

_'I was just thinking the same thing.'_

"Take them off or you will never wear them again," he said to her with a look of complete seriousness in his eyes.

_'Finally,'_ was the only thought in her mind as she moved to kneel on one side of him so she could slide the soaked through silk from her body. She lifted one knee, then the other, before dropping them to the floor.

He just looked at her for a moment, kneeling at his side completely naked, the scent of her arousal thick in the air. This time she didn't get nervous as he stared at her. She got impatient. She threw her leg back over him and sat back in his lap. She wanted to get him to react and he did. He reached his arm down and dragged her up his chest. She was in shock as she looked straight down into his eyes as she found her body perched over his face. She could feel the smirk on his lips as mokomoko wound itself around her waist once before the very end brushed the tight pink peak of her right breast. Just as the fur flicked across her taut flesh, his tongue flicked across her clit. He moved his tongue slowly, savoring the taste of her and the sounds she made for him. His hand snaked up her abdomen to her left breast, rolling the nipple between his thumb and forefinger for a moment before circling it with the tip of a claw.

Three different sensations were attacking her and it didn't take long for her to be on the edge. Her right hand was pressed against the wall beside her bed, keeping her steady and preventing her from collapsing as her muscles twitched under the sensuous assault. Her left arm wound around behind her, resting on his chest. This odd twist caused her back to arch, pushing her breasts forward more into their attackers. He could tell she was close. 'Kagome,' he said in her mind, since his mouth was busy. 'Look at me.' She looked down into his eyes. 'Keep your eyes open. Do not look away.' He held her gaze as he sped his ministrations, playing her body like a harp, plucking just the right strings to make her sing for him, pushing her over the edge. It was hard not to close her eyes but she did as she was told and kept her eyes locked with his as she came. There was so much passion and so much love in his gaze as he watched as the orgasm crashed over her. He did not slow, instead keeping her riding the high as he dragged orgasm after orgasm from her body, each following the last so closely that it might as well have been one incredibly long peak.

He savored the taste of her that he had not had for several days. It was like a drug, how responsive she was to him, how wet she got for him, how she cried out for him, calling his name to the Kamis, all mixed with the flavor that was only her, so completely Kagome. He couldn't wait until he had permission to mate her, when he could finally bury himself in her virgin body and feel her tighten around him over and over again as he made her scream in ecstasy._ 'Soon,' _he thought to himself. _'Soon I will be able to make her only mine for all of eternity.'_ Feeling her exhaustion he finally slowed his movements, allowing her to come down slowly. He then lifted her tired but thoroughly satisfied form as he sat up so her legs and arms wrapped around him, her head dropping to his shoulder as his one arm held her tightly to him as if afraid she would disappear forever if he even slightly loosened his hold. "I love you my Kagome," he whispered in her ear.

"I love you too, Sesshoumaru. I really do," she whispered back.

"Go to sleep now my love."

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Somewhere in Tokyo, not too very far from the home of our beloved miko was a boy. The boy was a teenager, and at the moment he was looking quite like the stereotypical teenager: angry, depressed, confused, and in love. The conflicting emotions flickered over his face as he thought. He was in love with a girl, a beautiful girl who he had loved for years and years. He was always nice to her, bringing her gifts and offering to take her on nice dates, but she never seemed to understand that he loved her. He loved her more than anything in the entire world, more than his family, more than his pet hamster, more than his best friends, more than himself. He would do anything to make her happy… anything.

Today he had visited her once again. She was so often sick with so many different yet equally terrible illnesses and he spent a great deal of his time worrying himself sick over her health and well-being. When he went to her home he had expected to find her in bed but was pleasantly surprised to find her looking well and sitting on the couch in her family living room watching her brother play a video game and enjoying a snack of milk and homemade cookies. Mrs. Higurashi always made the best cookies, filled with love, just like he was sure his future wife would make them for him and their several beautiful and perfect children. They were certain to be beautiful, guaranteed to be perfect, since their mother was both.

He had brought her yet another thoughtful gift, as well as study notes for her finals. He couldn't very well have his future wife failing a grade of high school now could he? If he could, he would have taken the exams for her, just so she could get the rest she needed and deserved. She looked beautiful today, sitting there smiling. Her beauty outshined anything else in the room, so it took him a while to notice the strange looking man sitting beside her, very closely, on the couch. He looked like a hooligan! A street thug! Why else would a man choose to tattoo his face? He was certain that the odd markings were gang tattoos, signaling him a member of this or that street gang.

He noticed while taking in the unknown male without obviously looking that said man was glaring at him intensely. What had he ever done to him? He didn't even know him! For a moment or two he was worried that he had somehow angered this obviously violent and dangerous gang banger and immediately he feared what would happen to his beautiful love if he were killed over some misunderstanding. She would be lost without him, he was sure of it. No, he couldn't allow that to happen. Surely he would be able to find a way to reason with the very large man. The question of why he was even there crept slowly into the boy's mind. Why would an obviously violent criminal be sitting beside her on the couch as if he belonged there? This thug didn't belong there! He did! He belonged at her side, making sure she was comfortable and well rested. If he had been the one sitting there her little brother certainly wouldn't have been playing video games. No, his lady love would be watching whatever program her sweet little heart desired, and damn everyone else.

When she took hold of this miscreant's hand, interlacing their fingers, his heart compressed painfully. Why would she willingly touch such a… a… **thing!** Something had to be going on. Perhaps he was holding them hostage and she was being brave so that she could allow him to escape and contact the authorities? He made a real effort to not look at their hands to ensure he did nothing to anger the kidnapper. He had almost cried out for joy when she let go of his hand, and was even more thrilled when she pushed him back and out of the way. Apparently the obviously dim witted fool had been blocking his love's view of his person. Of course she would love to gaze at him affectionately just as he loved to do so with her. It only made sense.

When she climbed into the ruffian's lap he was confused. Why would she touch another man in such away? Her soft touch was only meant for himself and no other. When she reached for the notes he held out for her he relaxed, relieved. She couldn't reach him. That was all. How foolish of him not to have realized that she didn't want to get up. She was probably exhausted from her illness and whatever horrible experiences this goon had put her through. He was half tempted to throw the troublemaker out on his ear, making sure to give him a good long lecture on how one should and should not treat a lady. When she settled into the lap of the giant punk and his arm wrapped around her it finally hit him. This man, who was so obviously a body builder of some kind, had most likely overdosed on illegal steroids and caused permanent damage to his brain. This man who he had assumed was somehow connected to a street gang was merely an idiot! It was just like his beautiful, loving, caring Kagome to risk her health to help others in need. She was volunteering her time working with the less intelligent among the less fortunate. This gargantuan man was merely a pity case. She probably needed to keep some sort of physical contact with the hulking, mentally disabled mammoth of a man to keep him calm around strangers. She was merely protecting him. Oh, how wonderful it was to know she loved him just as much as he loved her.

Once he understood the situation he quickly excused himself, not wanting to cause his beloved any more trouble than she already had dealing with the monstrous meathead she had dedicated herself to helping. He would talk to her at school on Monday. She was sure to be there to sit for her exams, especially once she saw just how hard he had worked on those notes. He was proud of himself for finding a way to help her, and proud of her for having such a big heart that she would volunteer her precious time with a colossal, mentally defective twit.

The boy stared at his ceiling, which was papered with photos of the beautiful woman he would someday make his blushing bride. "Soon Kagome," Hojo whispered into the night. "Soon we'll be together… forever."

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"But… what about you?" Kagome asked in a cute little voice. She didn't want him to leave her side. She wanted him wrapped around her securely so that she could sleep.

"I will join you soon." He stood while still holding her, but then found that he could not turn down the blankets to place her in the bed and hold her at the same time. There was a pang of pain in his heart as he found just one more thing he couldn't do for her because of his weakness, because he had lost an arm by his brother's hand, well, sword.

Kagome lifted her head as she felt a sigh sweep across her neck. Wondering what was the matter she turned her head slightly and realized the problem. "Sesshoumaru, move a little closer to the bed." He obeyed silently and watched as she reached to the side and flipped the comforter and sheet back so that he could set her down. He did, lowering her slowly. She could tell he was upset as he did not look at her as he pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "Sesshoumaru," she called out to him as he turned to walk away. She reached out and caught hold of one of the many pockets of his cargo pants that were hanging rather low on his hips by now, stopping him in his tracks. "Sesshoumaru, come here. Look at me."

He sat beside her but would not turn his head so that she could see his face. He was too busy mentally degrading himself for being less than a man, thinking that she deserved a whole man, one that could hold her with both arms. There were already so many things that he couldn't do and he had been steadily thinking of other things he would never be able to do for or with her. Why should she suffer for his weakness, for his failure? He was actually thinking of leaving so that she could find a better, less flawed man, one as perfect as she, which was what she deserved and nothing less. He was less.

"Sesshoumaru, damn it, stop!" she said, sounding angry. Her tone surprised him, causing him to look up at her. His eyes were filled with pain, disappointment, and fear, things she never wanted to see in them. "Sesshoumaru, I love you just the way you are. It doesn't matter to me if you have one arm or two." He didn't respond, causing her to slide from under the covers into his lap, still completely naked, pressing her soft, delicate form against him. She cupped his cheeks with her hands, trying to keep eye contact, but he merely looked down to avoid her eyes. "I mean it. Please… please don't look like that. Don't… it hurts me to see you like this." She pressed her forehead to his, the tips of their noses touching as her hands slid around his chest to hold him tightly to her. "You are perfect just the way you are. And anyone who thinks otherwise doesn't matter anyway. It doesn't matter."

"It should," he said softly, so softly in fact that she almost missed it, even with her youki enhanced hearing.

"Why? Why should I care? Why should it bother me? Why do you let it bother you?"

"This Sesshoumaru will never be able to hold you with both arms. I cannot run my fingers through your hair while holding you to my body. I cannot even lay you in bed without assistance. I will never hold both you and our child at the same time. It should matter to you. Being with me means that your life will never be completely whole, just as I never will be."

Tears were welling up in her eyes at the pain in his voice. He sounded like he was going to leave her, the thought of which scared her, causing her to tighten her arms around him even more. "I will never miss any of it. I don't need you to have two arms. You can hold me perfectly with just one. Everything else… it doesn't come close to being enough to outweigh how wonderful I feel with you. I will **never** regret being with you because of something so… so insignificant. The love you give me with one arm is all I will ever need. But if you were to leave me… even if you thought it was for my own good… Sesshoumaru, I'd… I'd just lie down and die without you. Now that I have had you I will never be able to live without you. Please, you have to believe me. Understand. This is how I know you, how I love you, and I wouldn't change you for the world." She kissed him softly before continuing, tears now streaming down her cheeks. "If … if I could… I would give it back to you, not because **I **want it… but because it hurts **you** so much not to have it. You are always so confident, but you let this make you insecure. You are perfect… beautiful, powerful, intelligent, strong, loving, perfect. You are not less anything. In my eyes you are 100 of the Sesshoumaru I know and love."

Finally he raised his eyes to see the truth in her own. Those beautiful ocean pools were overflowing with love and compassion, along with complete honesty. She really did not find him less of a man because of his imperfection. She called him perfect, like this. She even cried for him. He kissed her softly before licking the salty tears from her cheeks. "Kami, Kagome, I love you. I just want you to be happy. I don't want you to feel obligated to…"

"No!" she cut him off. "Don't even think that let alone say it. Damn it, stop beating yourself up!" She reached down between them and began unbuttoning his pants.

"Kagome, what…?"

"Just shh for a second." Her nimble fingers unhooked the button and lowered the zipper before standing from her place in his lap. "Stand up," she ordered, taking hold of his hand and pulling at him in an attempt to force him to rise. The whole idea of her pulling him at all should have been funny but at the moment he couldn't feel much of anything besides the depression that was so heavy on his shoulders that he felt he would soon be pressed into the ground, probably where he belonged to begin with. He rose at her insistence and felt her give the waist of the cargos a tug, causing them to fall to the ground. She climbed into the bed as he stepped out of the pants pooled at his ankles. He turned and watched her settle herself on her back with a pillow under her head and mokomoko on her left side between her body and the wall, the end curling around her left leg. "Come here." She beckoned for him and he slipped into the bed beside her now dressed only in boxers, letting her pull him close. She encouraged him to rest his head on her breast while lying on his left side, his arm winding across her waist. He could feel her running her fingers through his hair, her gentle touch soothing the pain in his soul. After a few minutes she spoke softly to him. "I am happy, Sesshoumaru. I am happy with you. Now I don't want you to ever think like that again, please. Promise me… promise me you won't disappear on me."

He nodded his head slightly against her body. Every muscle that had been held tight under the stress was melting as her caress, her scent and aura, and her reassuring words relaxed him slowly until he drifted off to sleep. Kagome lay staring at the ceiling for a while, still playing with his hair while she thought. _'I wish there was some way to make him believe me, really believe me. He's never going to let himself move past it. He will always feel like half a man, always blaming himself for some imagined weakness or failure. I wish I could give it back to him. It would make him happy, let him really be truly happy without it dragging him down, without questioning himself. That's all I want. I just want him to be happy with himself, comfortable in his own skin again. I wish…' _ Kagome slipped slowly into unconsciousness, her hand tightening in his long silver hair, refusing to let him escape her hold as she slept.

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**Author's Notes:**

First a big giant thank you to my new bestest long distance friend Iloveprettysilverhair. (yes, I mean bestest, even if it isn't a word. I like to make up my own when the case calls for it)

And thanks to everyone who is helping me revise all the early chapters. You guys are great and have saved me so much time, which has been spent today working on Chapter 61.

Oh, and everyone who asked, no, those great comics weren't mine. I couldn't draw a stick figure to save my life. No, one of my reviewers sent it to me and I had to share.

**Reviewer Responses:**

**Mediaminer – **

Janomaru – Ego boosts definitely keep the ideas flowing.

Little189 – Glad you're enjoying the 'changes' Kagome's experiencing.

TreetopScout – Glad you're enjoying it enough to stay excited looking for updates. I'll have to do that now, a chapter on Sesshoumaru parallel parking. That was too funny. How about a 6 page shower scene instead? Hope you haven't lost power. Had that happen here once and laptop battery just didn't last long enough. Sucked.

Rosymouse – Nope. I'm not a fan of the idea of watching a little girl grow up and then doing her. Creeps me out. Now in an AU when they're all of similar age or something then I don't mind. Will Kagome get a tail? Dunno… have to wait and see. Action with 2 arms, so much more fun.

Brainshake – not time for lemon yet. There's gonna be a whole hell of a lotta limes during the week at home though, with Kagome growing more comfortable with their physical relationship. wink, wink The arm shall return before the girls notice because I don't wanna deal with that explanation. We're gonna go with he's too damn sexy to notice.

n8tivegurl – Sesshoumaru suffers from the irrational fear that she will begin to fear him, as every other woman has before. They're talk about it eventually. They're a little busy at the moment. Nope, you're the first to ask what game. If I were to choose the last one I played it would be Psychonauts. Or I would pick that one where the ball rolls around and everything sticks to it and the only point is to make the ball bigger. I have no idea what it's called. My husband would know but he's asleep.

InuAtashi – Oh, I would love pictures. I can see it in my head but if I tried to draw it, I laugh at myself it's so bad.

Ethereal Siren – I actually really like that song. And yes, it's definitely a stuck in the head forever kind of thing. Wonder if I can find that online. The 'changes' in Kagome are going to progress slowly, so he might not tell her for a while, especially since he's afraid to. No piles of goo, but I did make them shrieky little gossipers.

Child of the moon – No, not mine, but I absolutely love it. I know, I'm a tease, Kagome's a tease, gee… I wonder how that happened. Lots of people have guessed by now so I'm sure someone else has probably guessed what you did. Feel free to spout hypotheses. I love them

Bettychan – there will definitely be some Hojo clue getting, but first we have to find out just how nuts the nutter-butter is first. Can't see the forest through the trees. …Sorry, now I've got Manson swirling through my head. What else…Oh, yeah, pizza a la sesshy chest. Yummy

Syoze – Not sure what kind of pranks I'm gonna use. Definitely going to make use of Shippo's magic though. I'll bet Sesshoumaru would be more than willing to assist Inuyasha in obtaining any future items needed to torture the wolf prince. Hope you have fun on your trip. Definitely since it was so expensive! Yikes!

Arry – Kagome will be getting bolder soon. Working on the AFF but I figured you'd rather me write new stuff then play with old stuff all day. I know I do.

Maddie50 – More frisky bits on the way!

Seggoge – According to winter or nile, can't remember which, on the group I'm in, the site should be up on Sunday. That one thing getting posted was a fluke, the login pages is still blocked, but it was there for a bit while one of them was doing something. I can't wait to put the chapters up.

Imanewme – Glad you're enjoying the story. Sesshoumaru will not suffer too much longer, though full lemon is a ways off. I figured the bitch thing would be obvious enough that it wasn't 'Kagome' speaking. I hope you continue to enjoy, and I appreciate the time you took to review. – No need to poke me anymore, eh? You're spoiled now. It's a good thing you're cute (hehe). I know I answered in a message but if anyone else reads all these, we're on day 27 in the story, day one being the Inu/Kag fight w/Kikyo.

Ginrei – She was excited to hear that you liked it. Can't wait to see your photo card. You know, she'd send you a new picture every week if I supplied the envelopes.

Rein phoenix – he didn't use the tenseiga cuz it didn't get to that. If I remember it right, his beast yelled for him to use the sword. He was pouting and feeling sorry for himself for a little bit. If she hadn't come back on her own he would have. Sleep. Sleeps always good. I haven't been getting enough. Damn inspiration keeping me up until 4am

Moonlit maurauder – there is a reason for everything I do. He didn't draw blood. His beast reacted that way because of how she was acting and because it understood the situation. Dog demon thing. Sorry you didn't enjoy that part but it's important.

Ready…aim…fire – I guess it is a good thing you're patient if your name is any warning. ;-) Glad you're enjoying, and all questions will be answered… eventually.

Black-Lion – Kagome's dad is most decidedly not a demon. Kagome's changing, yes, but into an inu? Maybe… Maybe not

Princess Kathleen – See, now hentai minds think alike. I'll have to use the freeze again too. It was fun. Pose-able Sesshoumaru, how exciting.

Chibi strawberry neko – nope, not an artist. But I thought they were too cool not to share.

Firesoul39 – But the cliffies make it fun for me! Glad you're enjoying the story.

Kirida – Thanks for all the nice words and encouragement. Glad you're enjoying.

Most unlikely angel – good guess – if you thought that was limey just you wait. I've got a lime that's pushin awfully close to a lemon.

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I appreciate the support!**


	60. A Miko's Wish

**Chapter 60 – A Miko's Wish **

Kagome's sleep was restless, filled with odd dreams. Multiple times she dreamed of walking down the stairs, outside and to the well house. When she would walk in, there would be the oddest light shining from under the floorboards. Every time she went closer, though, she would find herself elsewhere, in another completely unrelated dream. She went from well house to school; well house to the kitchen having breakfast; well house to Kaede's hut; well house to the shrine gift shop; well house to … well, you get the point. At some time during the night, her shifting had disturbed the sleeping demon lord who rolled to his back allowing her the space to toss and turn, which she did for the remainder of the night.

When she opened her eyes she felt odd. It was almost like she was in another dream. Maybe she was. Oh well, if she was dreaming then she knew what she was supposed to do next. She crawled out of the bed without waking the sleeping inu beside her. She slipped into the jammies she would have worn, had she not slept naked instead and crept down the stairs careful to miss the squeaky one. Not bothering with shoes, since she hadn't every other time, she walked out the kitchen door, closing it behind her silently. She padded across the shrine courtyard, noticing for the first time that her feet were cold on the cement. They hadn't been in the other dreams. She brushed it off as unimportant, glancing at the sky seeing the oranges and reds that signaled dawn's approach. It would be light soon but it was still too early to be out of bed. She shrugged her shoulders at the silly thought. She wasn't out of bed any more than she had been the other ten or so times she walked this path.

She reached the well house and slid the doors open as quietly as possible, though the scraping sound of the wood was unavoidable. She didn't know why she was bothering to be quiet; it wasn't like she could disturb anyone from her dream! She entered cautiously, her eyes instantly being drawn to the bright green glow pouring out of the cracks between the old floorboards. She moved closer, fully expecting to blink and find herself up a tree or some other equally odd and annoying dream location. She was getting closer than she had ever gotten before. She actually made it all the way to where the glow emanated from. She looked closely and saw that one of the boards had gaps all the way around and was much shorter then the other boards. She brushed her fingers along the edge, finding one of the sides sitting slightly higher than the rest. It was just enough for her to catch with her nails and pull the small board. The four inch by eight inch piece of wood came up easily, she had to shield her eyes as the glow intensified now that it was no longer hindered. It appeared to be a hidden compartment, since it was closed in on all sides and had a bottom as well, where any of the others would have allowed her to see the dirt below the slightly raised floor.

Inside the secret compartment was a box. Her heart clenched in her chest. She recognized this box, but it couldn't be the same one. The last time she saw it, it was five hundred years in the past and nowhere near the well. Almost as if in a trance, she reached down and picked up the small redwood box. It was the source of the light. Bright green shined out from the seam where the lid and the box met, the color reminding her of the glow of Sesshoumaru's whip and poison. She sat back on her heels, entirely confused. She hadn't ended up anywhere else. She hadn't woken up. She was still in the well house holding a very real feeling box. She sat there for a while, just staring at the odd glow that was so similar to the bright red light that had shined out of the box just like this one in the past. The one that held the crystal heart that allowed her to give her gift to Inuyasha, her greatest wish for him, to be happy as he was and be able to protect himself and those he cared about. Did that mean…?

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Sesshoumaru woke slowly, still surrounded by her scent. He rolled to the side where her soft, warm body should have been but all he found were cold sheets. His eyes shot open and in an instant he was up, looking around the room. He sniffed and realized that her scent was weak in the air. She'd left the room a while ago. He hadn't noticed because her bed and his body were both covered in the residual scent of her. He couldn't decide what to do. She could be perfectly fine, maybe in the 'bathroom' or the kitchen and he was overreacting. Then thoughts of the previous night rushed back into his already troubled mind. She had made him promise not to leave her, but she had disappeared on him while he slept! What did it mean? Had she changed her mind, decided he wasn't worth the trouble? As much as the thought hurt he couldn't bring himself to believe it. She had shown nothing but love and honesty the night before. Deciding he had to find her, see her, hold her tightly right now, he looked around for something to put on. He couldn't close the pants he had worn the night before and he had no idea where she had hidden his own clothing. Grudgingly he dug around in the bags until he found the 'pajama' pants she had shown him and dubbed 'cute'. He quickly removed the boxers, deciding since they had the same type of waistband he didn't need both layers, before pulling on the night pants and heading out the door. He didn't bother with a shirt. He didn't have time for that.

He followed her scent trail down the stairs and to the kitchen door. He opened it, careful not to make enough noise to wake the sleeping humans inside the house, before continuing on to the well house; his nose wrinkling in disgust at the powerfully unpleasant scents in the air. Why would she be in the well house? Did she go back to his time? Without him? No, he decided, that couldn't be it because the connection was still intact. He walked rather quickly towards the sad looking structure, not wanting to appear worried but wanting to get there fast. When he reached the door he knew she was in there. Her scent was strong in the air. There was an odd light coming from the other side of the well and he walked around slowly. He froze in place when he saw her. She was holding that box again, but it was different. It was glowing green. She looked up at him before lifting her hands toward him as if offering him the item she held. He extended a finger and just barely touched the box, watching as the lid lifted on it's own. They both stared in shock, as they laid eyes on the contents of the box. It was another faceted crystal heart, but this one was bright green, like his aura and his youki.

He watched, as if frozen in place, as she held the box in one hand and reached in with the other. Once again, the instant she touched it, the crystal stopped glowing. She picked it up, dropping the box carelessly. "I think it's… for you," she said softly, now standing before him. She held it out and he touched it. They both watched as it cracked and broke in two. There was a whirl of wind that came out of nowhere, surrounding them like a funnel cloud. Sesshoumaru instantly pulled her to his chest in an attempt to shield her from whatever was happening. She held the pieces of the stone tightly in her hand, waiting for whatever was coming to just happen already.

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As the sun rose over the horizon, Inuyasha let out a frustrated sigh. Even with her scent covering the bedding and the warm little bodies surrounding him, he just couldn't sleep without her. Just a few nights with her in his arms and he knew it would never be the same. He didn't think he would be able to sleep alone, high in the branches of a tree, ever again. Not now that he had experienced the warmth and peace found only in her presence. It was going to be a long week. Extending his senses, he checked the area for any hint of danger but found none, at least none if he didn't count the wolf's group camping not too far away. Really, it was too close in his opinion. The other side of the world would be too close for Inuyasha when it came to Kouga and Kagome. The obstinate demon was in for a rude awakening when Sesshoumaru and Kagome returned from her time. The hanyou was beyond convinced that they would be mates, his brother and his miko. If Sesshoumaru wasn't so intent on a proper courting, which he personally thought was overrated; they would be mates within the week.

They would train before breakfast; he had decided during the night, when he'd had an abundant amount of time to think. After breakfast, he would try to keep them entertained until Kaede showed up for miko lessons. He wasn't sure yet, how, but he would figure it out soon enough... he hoped.

Hitoshi was laying perfectly still, breathing slowly and evenly in an attempt to keep 'Uncle' Inuyasha from realizing he was awake. He needed a bit of time to think, without disruption, which was hard to do with now seven brothers and one sister. Those wolves had really upset him, especially the one with the big mouth. How dare that conceited demon think that Kagome was his woman? How dare he insinuate that she wasn't safe with her pack, that she needed their protection? Hitoshi certainly hadn't forgotten the things the wolf prince had said the last time he was near. To insult his Mama's honor like that, to say such… such… disgusting things about her was unacceptable. He had never before been so angry at another being; never had he felt such a great need for revenge. He smirked mentally as he made his plans. They would soon wish that they had just turned around and went home, like Inuyasha said. Between his sneaky mind, Akihiro's intelligence and Shippo's fox magic; they had all the tools necessary to make their lives hell, until they either left or Mama and Father came back and ran them off. Akihiro wasn't usually the type for this kind of activity; when it came to his Mama though, the rules went out the window. The wolf would eat his words.

Shinji was also awake, but he was aware that his brother was as well. He knew Hitoshi. He knew what the little trouble maker was thinking and usually he or Yoshi would have put a stop to it before it even started; this time… he'd decided last night that he would assist them in their plans. It actually sounded sort of fun, at the very least it would be a distraction, a way to pass the time until Mama came back. He let his mind wander for a while, imagining all the things they could do to the wolves, especially with Shippo on their side. Yes, this was promising to be very entertaining.

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Suddenly, the sound of the wind was gone and the air was motionless around them; but they could still see the swirling air of the funnel that they were in the center of. There was absolutely no sound for a few moments before a voice was heard.

"What good am I to her? She deserves a whole man, one who does not suffer from such weakness. She should be held by two loving arms, protected by two strong hands. I should let her go, to find a better, stronger man who would not fail her. She should not stay with me because she feels she must. Such a perfect angel should not be chained to such an imperfect demon." The words were said in Sesshoumaru's voice, though he had never said them aloud. Kagome looked up at him with tears shining in her eyes once more.

Before either could speak, another voice spoke from the silence.

"This is how I know you, how I love you, I wouldn't change you for the world. If … if I could… I would give it back to you; not because I want it… but because it hurts **you** so much not to have it." There was a short pause before Kagome's voice continued to fill the air. "I wish there was some way to make him believe me, really believe me. He's never going to let himself move past it. He will always feel like half a man, always blame himself for some imagined weakness or failure. I wish I could give it back to him. It would make him happy, let him really be truly happy without it dragging him down, without questioning himself. That's all I want. I just want him to be happy with himself, comfortable in his own skin again. I wish…"

He looked down at her in surprise. He remembered the first part but she had never said the last aloud in his presence. Each looked like they wanted to question the other but they didn't have a chance before a third voice spoke.

"You wish to give her up; give her up in hopes of her finding true happiness with another, better, more complete man; at the cost of your own heart and happiness. You find yourself undeserving because of your imperfection and your inability to hold the one you love in the circle of your arms." There was a short pause. "And you wish not for him to change for you but only so that he may find true happiness by being able to once again see himself as whole. You love and accept him as he is, flawed and yet perfect in your eyes. Your greatest wish for him is a selfless wish, the desire for him to end his pain and insecurities. You understand him well, Kagome. He would never be completely convinced that he was good enough for you, never be truly happy, so long as he carried the evidence of his own loss and failure. Bestow your gift upon your Sakimitama and make him whole once more."

Kagome moved the larger piece of the green crystal to her right hand, while the smaller piece rested in the palm of her left. They both watched in awe as the quarter of the red crystal that had previously disappeared into her palm reappeared. It then merged with the green quarter, forming the top half of a heart, red on the left and green on the right, before the now connected pieces disappeared into her palm once more. She gently held the larger green piece over his heart, watching as it sunk into his chest and disappeared from sight.

Kagome nearly screamed when Sesshoumaru's eyes widened and he dropped to his knees, clutching the remaining part of his upper left arm with his right hand in an attempt to stop the pain. She fell to her knees in front of him and pulled him tightly to her body, feeling him go slack in her arms. She carefully lowered him the rest of the way to the floor, lovingly brushing his bangs out of his eyes and finding him blessedly unconscious.

The young miko watched over her demon lord as his arm was returned to him. First she looked on as the bone of his upper arm grew past the point of the cut, ripping through the skin and scar tissue that had healed over the open wound at the end of what little arm he had been left with. It was amazing to watch the bone lengthen and form. The muscles and tendons, arteries and veins appeared to snake out from where the cut had originally been made, wrapping and layering. As the tendons near the elbow appeared the two bones of the forearm started to form, the wrapping and layering of his flesh continuing down to his wrist. His upper arm was complete already, new skin covering the newly replaced length of his arm. The skin grew lower as the smaller bones of his hands and fingers appeared one by one, held together by the slithering tendons. She watched in awe as the skin extended past his wrist, his markings appearing to rise from deep below his new, pale skin to settle on the surface. His fingers were finished, deadly claws growing one by one until he was whole for the first time in nearly two years.

She smiled down on him, seeing how both arms were exactly the same. The markings were perfect, the muscles the same size, his claws the same length. It was like his arm had never been gone. He would be so happy when he woke up. Kagome leaned down and kissed his lips softly, surprised when he began to kiss back. She opened her eyes to see his bright golden orbs watching her and she felt **both** of his arms slip around her waist.

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Kagura was sitting in the corner of a small room of the castle Naraku called home, watching with a clear look of distaste on her face, hatred shining in her bright red eyes. She had been ordered to assist the witch in whatever way was required. Already she had gone to fetch ingredients from different and difficult, for most at least, locations. She'd spent the whole night, after delivering the witch, out on errands and was absolutely tired of it. If Naraku wanted these fake shards so badly then he should be the one flying all over the Kamis' creation to fetch rare herbs, ancient tree sap, moss from deep within the caves in the Eastern Mountains and other equally inane and annoying items. She didn't want to have anything to do with this. The panthers would likely blame her, for their betrayal at Naraku's hands, and they would have every right to. Except that she did not act of her own free will.

She had decided that she would find a way to warn them, before the meeting that night, not to use the jewel shards, especially the youngest girl. The more she had thought about it, the more she had become disgusted with herself for willingly sacrificing another just to save herself. Maybe she was as bad as he? No, not as bad but definitely not good. No woman would lead another into what Naraku was planning, demon or human, unless they were just as dark and twisted as the demented hanyou she was forced to serve. She forcibly held back a shudder at the thought of what the young demoness would go through if she didn't do something to stop it. She had to figure out something, and soon.

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Hiromi knew exactly what had happened in the little building on the edge of the shrine courtyard. She'd know it was coming all night as she felt the power hidden there calling out to her daughter to come and find it. Finally, the beckoning stopped and she felt the flare of magic as the change was initiated. She had always known her daughter would know how to activate the item hidden there all this time, especially after she'd heard of Inuyasha's change. Soon her to-be son-in-law would be whole, physically and mentally. She wondered when he planned on asking. She knew for a fact that he intended to ask her and her father, since Kagome's father was not available at the moment, and she was curious on how he would approach the topic. Of course she would say yes. Her father might make a big deal and yell like an old fool for a few minutes but then he would say yes as well. He acted as he did more out of habit, than anything else, as he had long ago accepted Inuyasha and had known that this was coming for a while now. Their Kagome wouldn't be quite their Kagome for much longer. However, the change would make her stronger, give her the tools and the power to defeat the evil that pursued the jewel, once and for all. The jewel would return to its rightful place in the miko's body, where it would cease to exist as a separate entity. It would mix and merge with her daughter's body and soul. The power would remain but the jewel would not.

Hiromi got herself up out of bed, not really having slept at all, and made her way down to the kitchen to start breakfast. Yes, it was early, but she knew two people who were going to be too busy celebrating to go back to sleep. She didn't know what the demon lord would prefer to eat. Perhaps she should ask him, or send him with Kagome to the supermarket to get whatever he wished. She grinned at the thought, the great demon Lord Sesshoumaru, walking around the grocery store pushing a cart like a little old lady, while Kagome pointed out and identified things. It would be a shame to miss it, but the two needed as much time alone as they could get while they were here, because once they returned to the past it would be much harder to find the privacy that a courting couple would desire. She laughed lightly at the thought. Yes, it would definitely be difficult with nine children attached to Kagome at the hip.

She wondered just how the traveling would go now that so many had joined their pack. Would Kagome still ride on Inuyasha's back at times or would Sesshoumaru commandeer the privilege? Or would she ride that beautiful inu Sesshoumaru had given her for protection? She had a feeling Kagome's arms would be getting a great deal stronger over the next few months as tired children wished to be carried, as she lifted them in the air and spun around, making them laugh, or as a scraped knee or a cut foot required Mama's love and assistance. Ah, the joys of being a mother, times nine. It would definitely be interesting and difficult as well, but she knew her Kagome was strong enough to take whatever the world threw at her, and she grew stronger every day.

The older woman let out a wistful sigh. Her little girl was all grown up, much earlier then she'd ever expected when she first held the cute little baby girl in her arms. She found it easy not to be jealous of other mothers though. While they got to spend more time with their daughters, got to keep them children much longer, and got to watch the progression from child to young lady to grown woman, her daughter would change the world for the better. Her daughter was making a difference, in a way that no one else could even possibly come close to. She couldn't help but be filled with pride, even if no one would ever know the truth. Sure, she probably wouldn't get to plan the dream wedding with Kagome, or watch her walk down the aisle. It was very unlikely that she'd ever be able to show off her grand-children, both present and future, without either strong magic or very interesting and impossible to answer questions. There would be no bragging about how wonderfully she was doing in college, or what an impressive job or promotion she'd gotten, but the fate of the world, the very existence of a whole species, depended on her little girl, and she was sure the world would not be let down. Saving the world definitely ranked higher than grades and promotions.

Glancing out the window towards the well house she knew that it was done. He was whole once more and happier than he'd been for centuries. She couldn't help but smile. Things would be hard, but in the end they would turn out right and Kagome would be happy. This man, no, this taiyoukai, held the matching half to Kagome's soul. You could tell, just by the way their aura's twined together while the pair remained oblivious. With as different as they were, day and night, light and dark, miko and demon, they were meant for each other, complimented each other perfectly. Her playfulness to his serious attitude, her bubbly personality to his stoic one, her compassion to his sheer destructive power, when the two were together there was balance, total synchronicity. Hiromi quickly pushed her thoughts from her mind. She needed to focus if she was going to have something ready for them when they came in. They would be exiting the well house any minute now and she'd done nothing but gaze around the kitchen, lost in her thoughts, completely defeating the purpose of bothering to get out of bed.

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The darkness clouding his mind slowly receded and just as he was about to open his eyes he felt her soft lips on his. He immediately responded, sensing her surprise. He opened his eyes and gazed into hers before slipping his arms around her body. It took him a moment to realize that he could feel her with two hands. His eyes widened in surprise and Kagome broke the kiss to laugh.

"Did you forget? How does it feel?"

He released her to look at his arms, noting the matching stripes with approval. It was like his own arm had returned to him, it was the perfect match. In a second he had her under him on the dusty old wood floor. "I do not know. This Sesshoumaru must test it to be sure." Kagome rolled her eyes and laughed for a moment before being silenced by his lips. He supported his weight on his right elbow, his right hand buried in her hair; while his new left hand began the process of becoming acquainted with the only body it would ever touch in such a fashion. He touched her cheek gently before sliding his hand over her shoulder and down her side to the dip of her waist. He slipped it under the bottom of her shirt and across her soft bare skin. He was incredibly pleased to discover that she hadn't bothered with a bra when dressing. He softly cupped her right breast before sliding his thumb over the steadily hardening nipple. It wasn't quite right though. He rolled them again before sitting up with her in his lap. He leaned against the far side of the well, effectively hiding them if anyone happened to peek through the open door, before giving her a heated look. She merely smiled back and lifted her arms over her head, allowing him to pull her shirt off and drop it at his side. As soon as the beautiful, milky white, pink tipped mounds came into full view he was holding them both, one in each hand almost as if comparing their weight. His thumbs grazed both nipples simultaneously, pulling a groan from her as her head fell back and her back arched, pushing her breasts more firming into his hands. "Much better. So perfect," he murmured while leaning down to catch a peak between his lips and teasing it with his tongue as his hands traced her sides. "This is so much better."

"I'm glad you're happy, Sesshoumaru. You deserve to be happy."

"This Sesshoumaru will be much happier once I get you back up to your room," he said in a deep, husky tone full of promise.

"I'm sure you will, but it will have to wait. Mama's probably already up and making breakfast, and Gramps will be down soon too. She always seems to know when I wake up. Must be a mom thing. My friends are coming over in the afternoon and there were some things I wanted to do this morning." The look on his face was the closest thing to a pout she figured she would ever see. "We have all the time in the world for you to put your hands to good use, but I can only buy certain things here in my time and we're only here so long. I promise I'll make it up to you."

He smirked at her. "This Sesshoumaru will hold you to that promise."

"I would expect no less," she said with a grin, which shifted into a moan as he decided he needed a few more minutes with her breasts before they could be hidden away from him. One arm wrapped around her lower back while his free hand entertained the nipple not currently being tormented by his tongue. He loved the way she squirmed for him. She was so easy, so responsive, so beautiful, so deliciously addictive.

Kagome allowed him and her, his fun for a few minutes before deciding if he kept going she would be naked for him in moments, just begging for a replay of the previous night. Not that he wouldn't have been happy to comply, but she really didn't need Gramps coming to check why the well house doors were open, or some other equally embarrassing intruder. She lovingly pulled his face up from her chest to kiss his lips softly. "We need to go inside. They'll still be there later, I promise."

He smirked at her before giving one last tweak to the peak he held between his fingers. "This Sesshoumaru will release you after you tell me your plans for the morning."

"Fine, but let me put my shirt on. If I don't, you won't be able to focus, and I really don't want someone to walk in and get a free show."

He scowled at the idea of another seeing her beautiful body. Only he would have such a privilege. Every inch of her delicate form belonged only to him. Deciding she was right, and that he would probably be forced to kill the fool if someone were to accidentally see her as she was now, he handed her the discarded top, watching as she shook the dust from it before pulling it over her head. Once the truly distracting beauties were hidden from his sight, he found he could once more focus on her eyes, finding humor in them. Apparently she thought his fascination with her breasts was entertaining. "Is something amusing, Kagome?" he asked in a teasing tone.

"I just find it interesting that the gap between species isn't as big as either side would imagine, at least when it comes to certain things."

He frowned. What did she mean?

Seeing his lips twitch downward, she laughed. "I'm just saying that men are men, whether human or demon. The obsession with breasts is the same. Alright, I want to do some shopping this morning. There are a few things I need to restock, like ramen for instance. I also have some things I want to pick up for the kids. It'll give you a chance to see more than the inside of my house. Now come on. I'm hungry. I didn't get to eat very much dinner last night you know."

"This Sesshoumaru did not instigate last night's events. I merely finished them."

"It's not my fault you look good enough to eat," she said without thinking. At his very amused look she realized what she said, instantly flushing a brilliant red that disappeared under the collar of her shirt, leaving the demon lord to wonder if those soft, pale gifts directly from the Kamis to him were flushed as well. "Don't even think about saying anything," she said with a low growl rumbling in her throat.

"I wouldn't dream of it my sweet little miko." 'But I will think that this Sesshoumaru would not be opposed to such a thing. Besides, my delicious Kagome, I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment. You not only look good enough to eat, but in fact are,' he said with a smirk, in her mind. She smacked his shoulder before trying to stand. This time he allowed her to escape his grasp, though he instantly regretted it when the feeling of her warmth pressed against him left with her.

"You're too much sometimes," she said with a laugh.

"Ah, but there I must disagree. This Sesshoumaru would like to believe he is exactly the right amount. Anything more would be a waste, though only time will tell now won't it my love?" The last part of his statement was accompanied with the lift of a silver brow as he made his insinuation that caused her to blush again. She really was just too easy sometimes. And so fun to play with, too. He rose beside her and bent to pick up the earlier discarded box and replace the removed floorboard. He handed her the box before wrapping an arm around her waist and guiding her out of the small structure, turning to close the door without having to let go of her, which was something that made him extremely pleased. He had two arms now and he intended to make good use of them every single day. He was well aware of how difficult it was to be without one, as well as just how blessed he was to have it returned, not because she didn't want him without it, but because she wanted only for him to be happy. He couldn't have found a better woman if he had her custom made to his exact specifications. There was not a single thing he would change about her. She was absolute perfection just as she was.

Kagome noticed the distracted look in her demon lord's eyes as he walked alongside her and wondered just what he was thinking about. As they reached the kitchen door she shrugged her shoulders before opening the door. Now it was her leading him, as she guided his distracted form through the door, before looking up to see the odd half smile that graced his beautiful face. She reached her free hand up, gently tracing the lines on his cheek, her touch drawing his attention. It was then that he realized they were already in the house. Since when did he get so engrossed in his own thoughts that he lost all knowledge of his surroundings? He would have to make sure it didn't happen again. Here it wasn't as troublesome, but in his time danger lurked in every shadow and he refused to allow anything to happen to her because he wasn't paying attention.

He looked down into her eyes and they both stood frozen, locked in their gaze, their eyes saying more than any words could. If he wasn't paying attention, she was. They were a team. He wasn't alone anymore, wasn't the only one he could rely on. Now he had her, his earthbound angel, to guide his steps and watch his back while he did the same for her. He had never experienced such a feeling before, of having such absolute trust in another. He felt another heavy weight lift from his shoulders. Even as a human she was not a weakness, she was the very source of and reason for his strength and determination. As the most powerful miko that he'd ever known, she could hold her own; defend herself and their children and even him if she found it necessary. Their children… it sounded so… so… it was something he had never expected to be able to say, our children. He wondered what they would look like, the children they made together.

A soft chuckle drew him from his thoughts, causing both he and Kagome to turn to look at the source. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. You two just looked so… you know, Kagome, your father used to look at me like that. Just like your demon lord looks at you. I made breakfast but I don't know what you like, Sesshoumaru. All Inuyasha ever wants is ramen but I don't imagine you would be the same."

"This Sesshoumaru is fine, though I appreciate the thought. I do not need to eat while here."

"No! No, you're going to eat. We're just going to have to go to the store and find something you like," Kagome nearly demanded. 'I can't have you going weak on me, now can I? A demon cannot live on miko alone.'

She laughed as his eyes widened at her boldness. When she got more secure in their physical relationship she was going to give him a run for his money, he was certain. He knew that she would be able to make him weak, just as easily as he could her, and he would love every second of it. His Kagome would be a never ending adventure, no matter how long they lived. Even if they lived straight into eternity, he knew she would still find ways to surprise him.

'What's wrong with my big bad demon, huh? Hungry again already?' He was about two seconds from throwing her over his shoulder and taking the flight of stairs in one running leap; but she ruined his plans when she sat at the kitchen table with a plate of more odd food in front of her. "Sit down, Sesshoumaru. You can at least give it a try 'til we can get something you like."

"Hn," was all he said aloud before sitting at her side. 'You already have what this Sesshoumaru likes. If you keep teasing I will be forced to physically remove you to your room whether you like it or not.'

"Oh, really?" she asked with a raised brow, looking very much like she was posing a challenge, one he would be happy to take her up on. "Here, try this," she said while lifting an odd, unidentifiable piece of food dripping a sticky sweet substance he had watched her pour on several large circular… things that were stacked on her plate. There was a larger stack sitting in the middle of the table. Sure, it smelled good, but his mind was elsewhere. When he opened his mouth to protest, she took advantage by popping the waiting morsel in. He glared at her for a second before chewing and finding it was really fairly good tasting, especially the sticky liquid that filled an odd shaped bottle on the table. She knew he liked it just by the look on his face. "It's called a pancake. And that," she said, pointing to the bottle, "is maple syrup. Mom makes the best pancakes ever. Now, do you want a plate of your own?" She held back the smug response that was begging to sneak out when he merely nodded. He watched as she piled three of these strange flat cakes on a dish before squeezing syrup over the stack and set it down in front of him. It was then he noticed the strange utensils. In place of the normal chopsticks was an oddly shaped tined piece of metal. "It's a fork," she informed. "Just watch." He did, watching closely as she used the side of the 'fork' to cut the pancakes before stabbing a piece and bringing it to her mouth. "See? Easy."

Hiromi smiled as she busied herself cleaning up the mess left behind from making pancakes from scratch. It was so cute how she tricked him into trying it. And it was even cuter when he had to admit he liked it so she would give him some. Her petite teenage daughter had this tall, muscular, centuries old inu wrapped around her little pinkie. There was no doubt in Hiromi's mind that Kagome would want for nothing with this demon so devoted to her happiness. She wondered if he even realized just how obvious it was that Kagome would always win if what she wanted held even the smallest hint of making her smile. The great and ruthless demon lord was being domesticated by a little miko from the future.

Gramps came down just a few minutes later and was surprised to find a half-dressed taiyoukai sitting at the kitchen table, eating pancakes with a fork as if he'd been doing it his whole life. _'At least he isn't slow,' _he thought to himself before laughing aloud, drawing the attention of the others in the room. He just shook his head and took a seat opposite their current houseguest. "So, this is the Great Lord Sesshoumaru?"

Kagome looked up from her food, surprised. "Oh, I'm sorry Gramps! I forgot I didn't get to introduce you to him yesterday. Grandpa, this is Lord Sesshoumaru, Taiyoukai and Lord of the Western Lands, Inuyasha's older half-brother."

"And her boyfriend!" Souta added as he sauntered into the room rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Souta!"

"What? Didn't you officially declare him your boyfriend yesterday, since you couldn't tell your friends that he's your fiancé?"

The growl that rumbled through the room caused everyone to look at Sesshoumaru, except for Kagome who was glaring at Souta, and Sesshoumaru himself who was looking at Kagome, momentarily concerned that she might just fly over the table and strangle the boy. "Souta, why can't you ever keep your mouth shut? Fuck! Could I at least introduce him before you announce everything? Besides, he's not really my fiancé." Her mother and grandfather looked at her in shock at the word they had never before heard from Kagome's lips. Maybe she was spending too much time with the foul mouthed Inuyasha.

"But didn't he say that you're his…" Souta's words were cut off by an even more vicious sounding growl.

"Little boy, I suggest you shut your mouth or start running," Kagome nearly snarled.

Souta's eyes widened as he realized that it was his sister doing the growling and immediately raised his hands in a sign of surrender. He watched her closely, her body tense, her bangs hiding her eyes from view. Sesshoumaru merely reached over and placed his hand on her lower back and her muscles relaxed.

"Souta, can I please speak with you in the living room?" Kagome asked in an overly sweet voice. He didn't want to go. He didn't know what she was going to do and that last snarl had nearly made him wet his pants. Seeing his hesitation, Kagome continued. "I won't hurt you. There is just something I need to explain to you for a moment." She stood and left the kitchen and Souta looked from face to face, his eyes begging for an excuse not to go.

Sesshoumaru took pity on the boy. "It will be fine. She is no longer angry."

"But how can you be so su…"

"This Sesshoumaru is privy to her every emotion. She is not angry, I promise you." Souta didn't look convinced but he went anyway, moving as slowly as he could in an attempt to delay the inevitable. Of course, Sesshoumaru didn't think about it until it was already done. He had just been left alone with the two people he needed to speak with before he was ready or had any idea what to say. He was rescued when the old man laughed aloud.

"Souta's just never going to learn not to push her, is he? Never been a patient girl. I assume the growling has something to do with the amount of your youki she holds?" He took in Sesshoumaru's surprised look. "While this old man can't wield holy powers, I am not blind. She nearly overflows with it, making it impossible to miss." Sesshoumaru turned and looked at Kagome's mother who only nodded her agreement. "She holds a great deal more than she did the last time she came home."

It was then that Sesshoumaru realized that when she had been poisoned, in his attempt to save her life, he had given her more of his youki and had never thought to extract it. He was surprised that she'd managed to hold on to it; not to mention that her miko energies for some reason didn't see it as a threat and try to remove it from her body.

"A bit of your blood as well, if I'm not mistaken," Hiromi added. "It's nothing to worry about. She is meant to hold your energy, just as you will come to hold hers. It will not harm her. Though it is getting things moving along a bit earlier than I had expected." At his furrowed brow she backtracked. "I mean, it seems to be allowing her to pick up some of your traits. Would you like some juice, Sesshoumaru?" He shook his head, still curious about what she'd meant. "Oh, well then how about some milk or water? You must be thirsty." At his look, she gave it her all. "Is there something you would like to talk to us about, Sesshoumaru? Maybe something you would like to ask?" Her question received its intended response as he just about shut down, shaking his head and willing her to not continue.

The wrinkled old man across from him merely laughed. "Never woulda thought a great taiyoukai would be afraid to ask a simple question. Oh well, when you're ready then," he said before getting up to make sure Souta wasn't turning blue while Kagome wrung his neck.

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When Souta had entered the room, Kagome caught hold of his shirt and dragged him to the far side of the living room before talking in a low voice. "Souta! Sesshoumaru intends to ask them for their permission to court me. You most definitely are not helping things! It wouldn't look very good if it was announced that I was his mate to be before he even got a chance to ask, now would it?" Souta's eyes widened in understanding and his shoulders sagged in relief. She wasn't going to kill him, at least not this time.

"If Mama knows you're seeing him and let him sleep in your room then I don't think she has an objection. And you know Gramps only cares about you being happy. Why is he worried about it? It's not like they're gonna tell him no and throw him out."

"Do you think he'd believe me if I told him that? I'm not even supposed to know that he's going to ask them. That's why he hasn't officially asked me."

"How do you know then?"

"I happen to know several demons who understand mating traditions. And, Sesshoumaru is definitely the type to follow tradition by the letter. He's also been really tense since we got here. He's nervous."

"You want me to talk to him sis? Tell him there's nothing to worry about?"

Kagome smiled at her little brother before ruffling his hair. "You know, that might just help. I can't tell him. I don't think I'm supposed to know. That's why you're my favorite little brother."

Souta rolled his eyes at the retreating back of his sister as she returned to the kitchen. "I'm your only little brother," he mumbled under his breath, having no idea that his sister could hear him perfectly and was grinning at his words.

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Author's Notes:

**Thanks for help with this chapter goes to Iloveprettysilverhair, Coffee Flavored Fate, and my anonymous beta. Thanks to all of you! **

Today wasn't such a great day. My mother got in a car accident a block from our house on her way to work this morning. She's alright, but the truck in nice and crunched in the front. She went to the ER to make sure everything was okay. No big problems, but as the day wears on she's been getting increasingly sore. I don't know if she'll be able to move her head in the morning. So that's partly the reason why this chapter is up late in the evening. But then I was planning on putting it up tomorrow, so it's actually early!

Next chapter contains the much anticipated shower scene, and it's almost done. The end is being a pain.

**Reviewer Responses: **

**Mediaminer – **

Treetopscout – I guess I really don't need to tell you how the arms comes back now do I? Hmmm… your mind seems to keep returning to the 6 page shower scene. Looking forward to it perhaps?

Imanewme – For just your second attempt at a review I liked this one! I know. I loved the cereal box idea from treetop too! I don't know about me having the most natural suspense writing skills ever, but it is a nice compliment. Hojo's not so much just stupid anymore… I think he's a tad crazy. Glad you didn't lose power. If only we could get a snowstorm down here…even if it only lasts a few days… it would make my last 10 years.

Missy71 – glad you're enjoying it and happy holidays to you and yours too!

Blueyedtigress – I'm gonna have to start putting your little comments somewhere highly visible. Then I'd never stop laughing. I wonder how long until you run out of accents. Glad you're enjoying the story!

Arry – If you thought 59 was hot, just wait til 61. And I hope you liked the arm restoration. Just for you love. Just for you.

Sugar0o – I'm glad you like it. I have this feeling I'm not going to be done for a good long time.

Meru – Yep, Hojo's a creep, or creepy. And the arm has returned!

Syoze – Hojo's delusional. Misaki isn't talking about the arm. If only Kagome had listened to Gramp's story in ch 2. Well, if you won't have internet for a while then you'll have a backlog when you get home. Enjoy more at once.

Tixylix – Yep. I had to. Made a promise to a girl… she's so spoiled.

Brainshake – That's why no one noticed the missing arm. I have no idea how I would explain that one away. The flashbacks were important for background and such on the inner workings of two characters that haven't been around as much, though Kagura has been more than Myouga. I liked the Myouga thing because it was a different perspective on an early event. They'll happen every now and then as the mood strikes me.

Monk-miko – Longtime not type! I hope you did well on all your exams. Kouga's always been oblivious… he'll learn… eventually. Hojo and his delusions. That was fun to write. I actually had to pull up a thesaurus for all the different words for thug and such. Glad you're enjoying. Hopefully I can keep you busy til January.

N8tivegurl – I forgot to ask David when he was up what the name of that game is. Psychonauts is cool. I'm like probably more than halfway through, though I haven't played for a long time. Always typing. Nope, Hojo is most definitely not in his right mind. His delusions keep him company since Kagome doesn't want to.

Fictionaddiction – great name! Thanks for reviewing. Glad you're enjoying my little addiction.

Bettychan – There will definitely be a couple more funny hojo scenes before he is forcibly given a clue. That sounds so poetic, weave a spell-binding tale. Sounds better than writing mid budget style soft core porn. Yeah, I like yours better!

Inupriestess – That's cuz ASS is read only for a while so they can upgrade. The new ones will go up as soon as I can get on. Glad you found me over here. – 

Sava522 – Glad you think so!

Lady Renvel – Oh, if only that would work. I think they'd notice. Hope the surgery goes well, small or not doesn't matter. Ah, guilt trips. Always fun.

Iloveprettysilverhair – You know, I've said I have a stummy ache. We're getting creepy.

Satsuki – I've always found Hojo creepy. Who's really that nice and not insane? Anyone?

DancingDragon – Glad FF obeyed today. Guess what… he's over it. Thanks for reviewing!

Mraestlayn – Just Naraku's creepy? I think Hojo's getting kinda scary too. Thanks for all the sweet words.

Moonrosesa (sunset love) – Sorry I couldn't meet your deadline. Crazy day, crunched up car, sore mommy, kinds threw me off my game. Together 58 and59 were like 24 pgs. Around 12 each. My margins are different here than in my actual writing in chapter so I'm not sure exactly. The end of 61 is making me a bit cranky but I'll get it. It might end up just being a page shorter than usual, but then it's mostly lime anyway so I think it'd be excusable. The chapters started out at 5 pages each and now I almost always hit 11. Hugs back

Ruhtra Nakal – thanks. I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Cocoke5 – besides the truck thing we're good. Mom's been feeling better, or she was until this morning. Destiny's fine. Pushy, but fine. When ASS is back up I'll be putting up the missing chapters and then go back to updating them at the same time. AFF might take me a week or two to get all the old chapters up before its even with the others. I'd love to switch places. You can have my 85 degree weather and I'll take your snow.

Ginrei – So glad I don't have to stand in line at the PO. When I first opened my business I didn't have a scale, and had to stand in line almost every day, 15 minutes or more during Dec. Now that I shut it I don't even go check the mail. I wait for it to come to me. You may never see your refrigerator again. 

Princess Kathleen – not a clue. Not good at riddles. The chapters in the future are gonna be different, and very very limey if my hentai muse has its way.

Dee – It's all better now. No tears! Glad you like it!

Luna-magic – Wish granted. Poof!

Chibi strawberry neko – Been trying to find the perfect way to bring the arm back since like ch 10 or so when Arry started begging. At least she promised not to hold her breath!

Dreamer1010 – Hope granted as well. Poof!

Darke wulf – Glad you like it. Hope you enjoyed the arm regrow.

Moonlit marauder – Glad you like it. Nope, my mom has to work all the way up to Christmas eve. David (husband) works til the 21 and I think Mike (stepdad) does too. Only do I get to sit home, but then I always do. I have a feeling I won't get a vacation though. I don't think you guys would take it well.

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**And now all there is to do is wait for the shower scene. Poor poor readers. I guess I better finish 61 and get to work on 62, eh?**


	61. Lather Rinse Repeat

**Chapter 61 – Lather, Rinse, Repeat**

Kagome smiled as she passed her grandfather on her way back into the kitchen, Souta following a few steps behind. Seeing that the boy was indeed fine, their grandfather continued on to his room to get read for his day manning the shrine. Saturdays were a busy day for visitors, especially tourists who were more interested in his charms and talismans than the regulars. He would be spending a great deal of time today in the shrine shop.

The rest of breakfast was strangely silent, with Souta shooting glances at Sesshoumaru while Sesshoumaru snuck glances at Hiromi who found herself unable to stop smiling at the obviously nervous demon. Kagome just looked at her mother and her inu like they were both crazy. When she finished her food and came to the conclusion that Sesshoumaru wasn't going to eat anymore she picked up both plates, scraping the uneaten portion into the garbage before placing the plates in the sink and running water on them both for a few moments to wash away the worst of the syrup before it dried.

"I'm gonna go take a shower. Sesshoumaru? Are you just going to sit there all day? Come on. You should take a shower too and then we can go. Mama? There's some more stuff I need to pick up, some more ramen and other food and some stuff I wanna get for the kids. Is it alright if I…?" Kagome was silenced when her mother reached under her plate and withdrew a small plastic card before handing it to the surprised young woman. "Is this a credit card? Mama? Don't worry, I'll find a way to pay you back."

"You know very well you don't need to do that. I want my grandkids to have only the best," she said with a smirk at the demon lord who was once again surprised by her words. Really, how much more obvious could she be? She was trying to let him know he had no need to worry but it didn't seem to be getting through. Instead he merely looked overwhelmed.

Kagome threw her arms around her mother for a minute while thanking her repeatedly before she grabbed Sesshoumaru's hand and pulled him along behind her. Once they left the kitchen Kagome turned around and looked him in the eye. "Sesshoumaru? Are you alright?"

"Your mother said the strangest thing and I got the impression that she did not mean to reveal what she did."

"What'd she say?" she asked while reaching up and pushing his hair behind his ear.

"That my youki in you was 'moving things along' faster than she had expected."

"Well, if she didn't mean to say it then she won't tell me what she meant. There are some things she said she can't tell me until it's time. There's no point in trying. Now come on," she said while giving another tug at his hand.

She yelped in surprise when she found herself in his arms bridal style and already up the stairs. "What are you planning?"

She looked at him in confusion. "Huh?"

"I can tell you are excited about something, and it is not the shopping or the 'credit card'. You wished to get me up the stairs rather quickly."

"Oh. You'll see. To the bedroom! Onward! Mush!" she called out while trying her hardest to smack his ass. Too bad she was being held too high for her arm to reach. She settled for pulling playfully at his hair instead. He merely smirked at her before shifting her weight so that he could turn the knob to allow them into her room. Closing the door with his foot he walked across the room in just three long strides before dropping her unceremoniously on the bed, his smirk widening as she bounced. "Hey!" she cried out. "That wasn't nice. Now I don't know if I want to show you your surprise." She watched his brow lift. "Nope, no matter how cute you look no surprise for you."

"Is that so? I'm sure this Sesshoumaru can find a way to convince you."

"Nope. **I'm** gonna go get in the shower. **You** can sit here and wait for me." She watched him frown as she hopped up and he sat down on her bed. She walked to the side of her room, opening a door he hadn't paid attention to before. She walked in and a moment later her clothes came flying out and he heard a sound similar to that of a small waterfall or a heavy rain. Whatever it was she was doing in there she was going to be naked and wet. Damn! Maybe he shouldn't have dropped her. What the hell! He could handle her wrath. He walked slowly to the open door before poking his head inside. He couldn't see her but he could hear the water behind a foggy door. Ah! She was in there too. He could see her shadow moving around in there. He noticed the doors appeared to be on tracks, and slid the door farther away from her open just a bit. He smirked when he saw her eyes closed as her head was under the flowing water. He didn't care to understand how the water was flowing out of the wall. He only cared about the very naked and wet miko that hadn't noticed his presence yet. It took him only seconds to decide before his pants were on the floor and he was slipping silently into the small space with her. She still hadn't noticed him but instead she had turned away from him and had begun to hum to herself while standing and allowing the water to run down her silky skin.

Kagome was startled for a moment when she felt two hands settle on her waist before pulling her back against a warm hard chest. Those arms slipped around her waist possessively and she smirked. She knew he wouldn't be able to resist. "And who said you could join me?"

"This Sesshoumaru needs no one's permission to assist his mate with her bathing. It is both my right and my responsibility. Was this the surprise you spoke of?"

She huffed and folded her arms, resting them on his. "Yes, but you're no fun!"

He released his hold on her waist with one arm, using a finger to push her soaked raven locks away from her neck, and began to kiss the milky expanse of flesh he had uncovered. He spoke quietly in her ear, his lips brushing the curved shell with every word. "You should know by now that this Sesshoumaru is most definitely 'fun', but if you've forgotten already I could always remind you."

"You know, if we keep this up nothing is going to get done."

"At the moment I fail to care. This Sesshoumaru will allow you your time to study, but the rest of your time belongs to me."

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They were up to something, he was sure, but he didn't know just what. The kids had been acting strangely all morning. They trained alright but it seemed as if their minds were elsewhere. For a while he had attributed it to them missing Kagome but it couldn't be just that. Breakfast was eaten in near silence as the boys and Shippo shot looks back and forth amongst themselves. And now they asked to play in the field where they always do and he had agreed, going along to sit and watch over them. He wasn't taking any chances, not with Kagome and Sesshoumaru's children. If anything happened to them he wouldn't survive, or he would just so that he'd have to live with the pain and possible paralysis that he would be left with. Anyway, so he was sitting under a tree, expecting to watch them run around and play tag or some other game Kagome had taught them but instead they were all sitting in a circle, huddled close together, and whispering so that he couldn't hear them from this distance. He watched over and over as Shinji cupped his hands around his mouth and Rin's ear and whispered to her a little louder so she could keep up with what was being said, since she was the only one without demon enhanced hearing.

He was watching Rin's face closely as she was the most expressive, just like Kagome, and he could at the very least follow her emotions from where he sat. She kept making odd faces, confused maybe, before Shinji would whisper to her once more. Then a small smile of understanding would appear before the smile grew into a very scary and devious looking smile, the same kind as Kagome would have when she was planning something she knew he wasn't going to like, like when she'd had Miroku tackle him and Shippo trap his hands under a giant boulder just so she could trim his bangs. He frowned at the memory. They were just fine the way they were, at least in his opinion, but she kept complaining that they were obviously getting in his eyes during battles and putting him in danger. He'd merely Keh'd at the time but in hindsight he should have just let her trim the damn things. It woulda been a hell of a lot easier on his back, stuck all crouched over with his hands beneath a ridiculously oversized rock. And then she wouldn't even let him get back at the kit when he was finally released. But he **could** see better, not that he'd ever admit it or anything.

Seeing that familiar devious look on the little seemingly innocent girl was enough evidence for him. Now, how to figure out what was going on. He leapt silently into the branches above him, moving from tree to tree without even rustling the leaves, and stopped in a branch hanging right above where the group sat and whispered. His twitching ears picked up everything, his eyes widening in surprise before a grin broke across his face. Smart kids… sneaky, but smart.

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"Oh really?" she asked in a sarcastic tone.

"Yes really." His hands both found their way to her hips before his left moved up, crossing over her stomach and cupping her right breast while his right hand moved down, brushing through her wet curls. Knowing just how to get the most from his every movement, he brushed her clit at the exact moment he tweaked her nipple, rubbing firmly around the little bundle of nerves while rolling the hard peak carefully but firmly as well. In just a second she was grinding against his hand, her head falling back to rest on his chest. The strength of his arms helped keep her upright as her knees grew weak with the pleasure. She was almost there when he abandoned both sensitive areas, making sure to keep her standing. "Who does you're time belong to Kagome?" he murmured in her ear before grasping the lobe with his teeth and giving a soft tug. She shook her head, refusing to give in. "Are you sure that this is the path you wish to choose?"

When she started to move he loosened his hold, watching as she turned in his arms. He noticed that her eyes purposefully stayed aimed no lower then his chest. He found it interesting, seeing what she was comfortable with and what she wasn't. "Sesshoumaru? Just shut up and get under the water," she said with a smirk before guiding him to switch places with her.

It was wonderful. The temperature was perfect and the water smelled clean with no traces of dirt or sand that he could feel either. He allowed her to tilt his head back so that his bangs could be wetted as well. "You will explain this…"

"Shower?" she helped.

"You will explain this shower to this Sesshoumaru once we have finished."

"Yes master," she replied while rolling her eyes. He looked down at her and she shook her head. "I don't care how much you like it, I refuse to call you master. It was a joke."

"This Sesshoumaru did not insinuate such."

"Sure." She reached for a familiar looking bottle and he took it from her hand. Looking closely he determined that this was the right bottle, shampoo as she'd called it. He turned her around and made use of his two hands by pouring the thick liquid into the palm of his hand before closing the bottle and setting it where she'd picked it up from. He proceeded to wash her hair, carefully massaging her scalp with his claws, drawing incredibly arousing sounds from her. Sure, he'd been turned on the second he saw her clothes fly out of the room, and even more so by his previous teasing, but he found himself rock hard after just a few of her sexy moans. He wondered what she'd do once she noticed, because she was definitely going to notice. As he continued to lather the shampoo through her now terribly foamy hair the bubbles began sliding down her back. It was when he shifted slightly to make sure to give her bangs adequate treatment that he felt it. She must have too because her breathing hitched for a moment before she shifted her bottom against him. The foam allowed their bodies to slide against each other easily, his unmistakable arousal between them. He held in the moan that wanted to escape him but she didn't. "Mmmm… Sesshoumaru?"

"Yes, Kagome?" he asked, trying to hide his apprehension as to what she would say next.

"Enjoying yourself?" He could hear the smile in her voice. He was about to reply, probably something he shouldn't have said anyway, when she saved him by pressing herself more firmly against him before shifting her hips in a steady rhythm. He couldn't hold back the moan this time, and it rolled out of him, music to her ears. The sound of his pleasure was addictive and she found herself wanting to hear more and more of it. She smirked internally as her plan formed. She turned and rinsed her hair, fully disappointing him, before working her conditioner through her hair. Allowing it to sit before rinsing, she poured an extra large amount of shampoo into her hand, turning him away from her and setting to work washing his incredible length of hair.

He was still disappointed as he tilted his head back to assist her in reaching all of his hair. Her fingernails felt amazing and it seemed as if she was purposely digging them in harder, which he absolutely loved. She rinsed her hair of the conditioner before helping him rinse his. She added the conditioner to his hair before grabbing a pouf and covering it with her body wash. She smiled as he snatched it from her hand before proceeding to gently scrub her body, paying extra attention to some of his favorite bits. She turned away from him and he washed her back before she turned and took it back from him.

"I guess it's a good thing my stuffs unscented, or you would be walking around smelling like a girl." He watched her rinse her very tempting body, twisting and turning to make sure she got it all before she moved him back under the water to rinse the conditioner. He was surprised but allowed it when she pressed his back to the cold tile wall opposite the showerhead. She smiled seductively at him before loading the pouf up with more body wash, making sure to get a lot of lather, and began to wash his shoulders and chest. It felt wonderful, though her hands would have been better.

He jumped slightly when he felt a giant glop of foam fall from where she was squeezing the pouf on his chest and land on the still very present sign of his enjoyment. He looked down in surprise and she laughed before squeezing it again, causing more bubbles to slide down his chest and stomach before joining the already present foam. "Are you enjoying yourself, Kagome?"

"Maybe," she said slowly. "I'm not done yet." She stepped closer, before pressing her body against his own, her breasts trapped between them, as was his arousal, hard and long held between his stomach and hers by the pressure of her body. She looked up into his eyes before lifting to stand on her toes, their bodies sliding against one another with delicious friction, the motion aided by all the lather she had created, apparently on purpose. Her lips just barely brushed his before she slid back down.

He couldn't stop the low moan that escaped him at the feeling. He hoped that she was planning on doing it again but was disappointed when she took a step back, at least until she turned around and molded her back to his chest, reaching for his hands and positioning them over her still soapy breasts, his hands gliding smoothly over her flesh. As she shifted against him, he silently thanked the Kamis that while she was short overall, her legs were long, making her ass just slightly lower than his now throbbing erection. It really was beginning to get difficult, painful even, worshipping her body and leaving his neglected. Her apparent interest in his enjoyment was more then welcome. He'd thought he was going to have to take care of it himself, something he'd rather not do if he had another option, his only other option being her. Their encounter that had caused him to be in need of a bath was amazing because it was her causing his pleasure, her body pressed against him, her moans, her breathy little cries of his name, her finding completion at the same moment as he. This, he had a sneaking suspicion, was going to be even better.

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"So, it's decided then? The wolves will pay for their offenses against father and especially against Mama," Hitoshi whispered, his voice only audible to those with demon ears sitting in their little circle. He watched as everyone nodded, except Rin. Shinji leaned over and whispered what he'd just said. Immediately she was nodding her agreement as well. "Okay then. I've been thinking about it and I think that Shippo is our greatest weapon."

"Me? How?" Shippo asked, surprised.

"You can use your fox magic to look like Mama. You can lure the wolf prince…"

"Kouga," Shippo volunteered.

"You can lure Kouga away from his pack in her form. Then he will be at our mercy."

"But what do we do once he's alone?" Yuudai asked.

"Well, there are several things we could do. We could set a trap and lure him into it. Maybe leave him hanging upside-down from a tree. He has those jewel shards in his legs so a hole wouldn't do any good."

"Wouldn't he just cut the rope and free himself?" Hisoka inquired nervously. He was worried about what would happen if they were caught.

"I believe I have determined a way to prevent that," Akihiro said proudly. Finally, his knowledge could be used to help his brothers… and Rin. "We can charge the rope with miko energy. He will not be able to cut through it until we call back the power."

"Can we really do that?" Isamu asked, a bit louder than he should have. Everyone's eyes shot to him and he pulled his head down and his shoulders up in an attempt to hide like a little turtle. "Sorry," he whispered.

"Yes, we can do it. I've read every scroll in the library on miko powers. I gave it a try a little while ago on a rock. Charged it, threw it, and then called the power back from it."

"Wow!" Isamu said in awe of his brilliant brother, this time at a much more acceptable level.

"I was thinking, it would be great to cut off his hair. He thinks he's so handsome and that Mama can't resist him. That'd show him!" Shinji volunteered.

"That would be great, but how would we pull it off?"

"Oh, I know! I can transform into Kagome and act like I want to touch his hair. I'll pull the ponytail out so that it's away from his head and then one of you could cut it with you're acid whip!"

"Shippo, I have to say… that is absolutely brilliant," Yoshi said with a devious smile. "Sure, it'll grow back, but it will still take a while. And in the meantime he'll look like an idiot."

"He always looks like an idiot," Hitoshi mumbled under his breath, causing everyone but Rin to laugh, though she did once Shinji filled her in.

"If you really want to make him look like an idiot we will need to gather a few things," Akihiro said conspiratorially. "I know a potion that will make his skin orange for two whole weeks! It doesn't wash off, just fades with time."

Hitoshi's eyes widened. "Remind me never to make **you** mad."

"There is a spell Rin should be able to do that will make them think that everything around them smells like rotting fish,"

"Really, Akihiro, I had no idea you could be so devious," Shinji said, sounding quite proud. "Maybe reading all those scrolls wasn't a waste of time at all."

"Oh! I can make it rain acorns on their heads until they're buried up to their necks!" Shippo whispered excitedly.

"And we can string up trip lines so that when they go to leave their clearing and touch a line something happens," Yuudai volunteered.

"Like what?" Hitoshi asked, curious.

"I don't know, maybe a bunch of pebbles fall on their heads, or a log swings out and hits them or something."

"It needs some work, but I'm sure we could figure out something good," Hitoshi said while smiling at his obviously excited brother.

"Tree sap!" Isamu whispered excitedly. "A whole bunch of tree sap could dump on them! It'll get all stuck in their hair and fur and take forever to get out!"

"Isamu," Yoshi began, "that is absolutely cruel… and perfect!" The children sat and continued to brain storm, unaware that their Uncle sat above them in the tree, having heard at least half of their plans, with a crooked smile on his face.

So they wanted to screw with the wolf? He didn't see a problem with that at all. Smirking at what was about to happen he dropped from the tree, landing perfectly in the center of their circle. There were yelps of surprise and one very high pitched shriek from a startled little girl as they all jumped back. "Making plans, eh?" They all started shaking their heads, not wanting to get in trouble since he had told them all to stay away from the wolves. "Got anything I can do?" He laughed as their jaws dropped in shock. "What? I hate him more then you guys ever could. He's been sniffin' around Kagome damn near since she got here. I especially like the fish smell thing. Oh, and the orange. But what about…" he leaned down and everyone moved closer to hear. This would be **way** too much fun. But at least they wouldn't be lonely.

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Kagome squeaked in surprise as he bent his knees just slightly, moving his erection from her lower back to where it now rested between her thighs. She tensed, not sure what he intended. "Relax, my Kagome," he murmured into her ear, one hand staying on her breast while the other traveled lower to tease her clit. She moved against him experimentally, gasping at the sensation. She could feel him; really feel him sliding between her thighs, brushing her heated folds. As he continued to play with her body she continued to move slowly forward and back, his arousal slipping between her folds, brushing past her opening, her body coating him with evidence of her own arousal.

"Oh, Kami," she breathed out. "That's just… oh…" She trailed off as his mouth found her throat, kissing and teasing with lips, teeth, and tongue. He began to move against her as well, increasing the distance between their bodies, causing more blessed friction and pulling a hiss from his lips. It just felt so good, so right, her body moving in sync with his, her heat wrapped around him. It was as close to heaven as he would allow himself to get at the moment, but it was more than close enough.

"Kagome," he gasped against her neck, "Kami I love you. You're so hot, so wet for me."

Her head rolled to the side, giving him more access while moaning as his words brushed across her skin, leaving tingles in their wake that he was almost immediately kissing. "Only… for you… Sesshou… Maru, only for… you" she breathed out between moans of enjoyment as the sensations combined, sending pleasure washing over her in waves. She could feel his lips on her throat, his hands rolling nipples and rubbing her clit, his length sliding across her most intimate place, hot and slick, making her feel the most powerful ache; the sensation of being so very empty nearly overwhelming her.

Her words were all he needed and she could feel his muscles tense behind her, around her, as his movements lost their fluid rhythm. His hips moved erratically, his arms tightening around her, one hand firmly holding a breast and the other pressing hard to her clit taking her over the edge with him. She felt a rush of heat as her eyes rolled back in her head and she cried out her ecstasy, hearing and feeling a vicious sounding growl rumble through his body and into hers. His hips thrust slightly a few more times before he stilled completely, holding her body tightly to him not just for comfort but to keep her from crumbling to the tile floor beneath their feet. They both were silent for a minute as they panted, trying to regain a normal breathing rhythm, and waiting for their hearts to slow.

He purred, the vibration rippling through her form. His head rolled back to lean on the hard tile and he, ever so slowly, pulled his lower body away from hers causing them both to hiss at the sensation on overly sensitive skin. His hands slowly slipped from their previous locations, looping loosely around her waist. Once she felt she could trust her legs she turned to look at him. He looked like a Kami, a disheveled, flushed, absolutely delicious sex god, **her** sex god to be specific. She leaned into him, her arms wrapping around his neck and he leaned down to meet her lips in a sweet, tender kiss. "My little miko tease, you felt **so** good."

She laughed softly. "While I'm flattered, we need to rinse off before the hot water runs out. I get enough cold water rinses in the feudal era." She dropped her arms slowly before turning away and stepping towards the water, his arms releasing her reluctantly. He leaned against the cool wall just watching as she rinsed her body, the water running in rivulets along her curves. As her hand slipped past her curls, rinsing away the evidence of their passion, he found himself conflicted. Her washing his scent away bothered him in a very primal way while seeing her touch herself made him wish to see her do so again, on her back, legs spread wide, just for his eyes. It was enough to stir his relaxed body and he had to force the mental picture away. When she finished rinsing she pulled him under the water with her, running her fingers through his hair unraveling the small snags that had formed while it had been trapped between his body and the wall. Her hands grazed over his chest and arms before leaning up and pressing a kiss to his chin before he could move to catch her lips. "I'm getting out. I'll be right there so I'll turn the water off when you're all done, okay?"

He smirked at her. Even after what they just did she was still afraid to look at or touch him below the waist. She was definitely a puzzle. Following her direction he rinsed the sweat that had formed on his body away with the now cooling water. By the time he stepped out of the glass doors the water was nearly like ice. He caught the towel she tossed in his direction and wrapped it around his waist while watching her towel covered body lean in, the water slowing to a stop.

"It got cold on you, didn't it?" He merely nodded as she walked towards him with another towel over her shoulder. "Back up a bit." He followed her direction, moving closer to the tub. She reached up and gathered all his hair together, holding it over the bathtub and twisting it to squeeze out as much water as possible before giving it a quick towel dry. Sesshoumaru reveled under her attentions. Grooming each other was something mates did often, and having her take care of him was wonderful, soothing, and it allowed him to really experience the intricacy of her love for him. "Alright, that's the best I can do now. After we're dressed I'll brush it out for you. Come on," she said before turning, flipping the soaked towel over the shower door, and walking into her bedroom, clicking the lock on the door just in case since she hadn't thought to do it before.

He sat on the bed, towel still wrapped around his waist as he watched her towel dry her own hair before opening drawers and pulling out items. He couldn't stop the smirk at the little lacy purple things she picked up and waved at him. As he watched her slip into them he had to fight to keep from pouncing on her and dragging them back off. The panties were lacy boyshorts and the bra just barely contained her beautiful breasts that he could see peeking through the all lace cups. She selected a pair of black jeans from a drawer and pulled them on. Sesshoumaru frowned. Yes, he was used to her odd clothing but those pants might as well have been painted on her long legs. Moving to the closet she opened the door and started looking through the hanging items before pulling out a lilac short sleeved silk shirt, the bottom hem cut at an angle to that the right side showed a few inches of waist but the left side hung over her jeans. It was loose fitting and rippled as she moved around the room. Leaning into the bottom of the closet she produced a pair of black chunky high heels and a small jean purse with a long shoulder strap. She set them to the side and turned to look once more at her towel-clad demon lord.

"I guess we should see all of what Mama bought you, just in case she forgot something." He nodded and watched as she began pulling things from the bags at the end of the bed, folding and stacking them in neat piles on the pink comforter. Once the bags were empty Kagome ran her eyes over all the choices. Her mother had thought of everything, from hair bands all the way down to socks and shoes. "Hmmm. Let's see. These," she said while picking out a pair of loose fitting faded jeans. "…and, oh definitely this!" she said with an evil smile. "…With this, and then these… and then those. Oops! Almost forgot this! Can't forget the boxers! Perfect!" Sesshoumaru glanced at the pile of items she selected and then looked back up at her satisfied face. "Oh, don't look at me like that! You are going to look absolutely amazing."

"This Sesshoumaru does not need any of that for you to think so."

She blushed slightly before turning around and searching the top of her dresser for her hairbrush, moving to brush her hair in an attempt to ignore his last statement. Of course it was a little more difficult when he stood and moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and looking at them both in the mirror.

"If you wish for me to put those things on you will have to assist me."

She looked at the reflection of his smirking face in the mirror. "You'd like that, now wouldn't you?" She let out a light sigh, not really bothered a bit but loving playing with him. "Alright, alright." She walked over to the bed and picked up the royal blue silk boxers she had selected. "These you can do by yourself," she said before turning away.

"But what if this Sesshoumaru does not wish to do this on my own?" She turned back around and playfully glared up into his eyes.

"If this Sesshoumaru doesn't put them on then this Sesshoumaru might as well go back through the well because playtime will be over," Kagome said in her best Sesshoumaru voice.

"I do believe that you are bluffing." He could see the blush creeping up her cheeks. "But this Sesshoumaru is not willing to risk it," he conceded, dropping the towel and pulling on the item in question. The silk sliding on his bare skin was rather nice, he decided, and much easier to put on than his feudal era underclothing. Perhaps he would bring these with him when they returned to his time. He moved towards her silently, seeing her eyes closed tight. "Kagome," he whispered against her cheek, causing her to squeak and jump back.

"Damn it! You scared the shit out of me!"

"Perhaps you should be paying more attention to your surroundings and less attention to your thoughts on this Sesshoumaru in the nude." He watched the anger creep into her eyes for a moment before kissing the tip of her nose. "I am in need of your assistance." Her anger melted away as she looked at him in nothing but the silk boxers. He looked absolutely delicious. He smirked as the scent of her arousal flooded the room.

Kagome had to forcibly rip her eyes from his chest and abdomen where every single muscle was perfectly defined. She shook her head in an attempt to clear the thoughts that kept creeping in, images of the accidental glimpse she got at the hot spring, as well as just how it felt as her tongue traced those muscles the night before. As she picked up the jeans, the empty feeling she'd experienced in the shower came back ten times as strong and she pressed her thighs together in an attempt to calm the ache. It didn't help… at all. Her shaking hands fought to successfully unbutton and unzip them before handing them over. She watched through lowered lids as he pulled them on before moving to close them for him, thoughts of how wonderful his tongue felt, the wonderful pressure and friction of his fingers inside her, swirling through her mind and making her knees quake slightly.

He noticed her still shaking hands as she struggled with the clasps she was working on. When she'd finally succeeded after several tries he pulled her into his arms, her head resting automatically on his chest. "Relax, Kagome," he said softly as he pulled his claws through her damp hair. It took her a minute before she wrapped her arms around his waist, snuggling into his embrace. "Are you alright?" he asked after a short silence.

It was enough time for Kagome to regain control of her suddenly overly hentai mind, and as the thoughts left so did the achy need that had overwhelmed her entire body. "Yeah, I'm just… I… I'm fine. Let's finish getting you dressed so we can go shopping. We have to be back before the girls get here and I want to hit a few different stores." He didn't quite understand her wording but he nodded and released her, watching her unfold a piece of white fabric. She held it up and then handed it to him. He pulled the wife-beater over his head and found the material clinging tightly to his upper body while it was a bit looser towards the bottom where it fell over the waist of his jeans. After looking down at his own chest for a few moments, trying to decide how he felt about this shirt, he looked back at her and found her holding up a silk button down short sleeved shirt. It was royal blue as well, a perfect match to his boxers. He slipped it over his arms with her help and stayed still as she fussed over it, straightening it over his shoulders so that it fell just so. Stepping back to look at him she smirked. "Every girl we pass is going to want you."

He looked at her, confused. "And you consider that positive?"

"It's not like they can have you. Let them look and be jealous. Sit down. Gotta put on socks and then hope and pray mom bought the right sized shoes." He sat on the edge of the bed and watched her drop to her knees before him, quite a tempting sight. She pulled on his 'socks' before slipping his feet into odd looking things that did not at all resemble shoes in his opinion, but then neither did hers. They were a pair of black Vans, and thankfully they were the right size. Kagome mentally cheered as she tied the laces and looked up at him. "How do they feel?" she asked as she rose to her feet and pulled him to stand. "Walk around a little. Do they feel too tight, too loose?"

They felt different, of that he was certain. The bottoms of his feet were actually quite comfortable, the soles of these so called shoes protecting them from the ground. After taking a few steps he decided he could handle them. "They seem to fit fine. It will take a bit of getting used to, though."

"Yeah, well Inuyasha won't leave the one's I bought him on for more then a minute. As soon as I turn around he's barefoot again and the shoes are suddenly 'missing'." Sesshoumaru chuckled at the thought of his brother hiding shoes from the miko to prevent her from making him wear them. Definitely would be entertaining to watch. "Alright, so the shoes are fine, everything else fits well. Now I just need to brush your hair and make sure it covers your ears. Sit down." He followed her instruction and she knelt on the bed behind him so she could reach. About fifteen minutes later they were ready to go. Sesshoumaru's hair was left loose, hanging over his shoulders to keep his obviously inhuman ears covered.

He'd watched with interest as she slipped on her own shoes, noticing they made her several inches taller. She'd put her essentials in her bag, her cute pink wallet with her ID and new credit card, some lips gloss, among other things he saw no need for. With the bag slung over her left shoulder and bouncing off her covered hip she walked carefully down the steps, her demon lord following behind. She called out a good-bye to her mother and Souta before heading out the front door and walking towards the flight of stairs that would take them down to street level. He put his arm around her, his hand resting on the patch of skin her shirt left exposed, and the two set off on their shopping adventure.

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**Author's Notes: **

I want to thank everyone who sent cards. Destiny is so happy every day when the mail arrives! To everyone who asked about my mother she's doing much better, both the odd stomach thing and from the accident. And thanks to everyone who said they enjoyed the arm scene. It took me a while to decide how to give it back, and I'm glad everyone thinks it turned out well. Not every review will get a response because I am on a writing roll right now and I'm afraid if I spend too much time doing this I might lose my flow.

**Mediaminer – **

Treetopscout – I hope this week is better than the last. Ouch! And I'd absolutely love to read a six page shower scene of just re-tiling. That would make a great spoof fic. Hope you liked my version!

Fictionaddiction – always happy to know someone likes the story enough to get anxious for the next chapter!

Ethereal siren – It wasn't too hard since lots of the stuff that happens in the story is unplanned. I have just a very bare bones outline. Everything else just goes as it wants to. Glad you liked it!

Sugar0o – Glad it makes you laugh. The best part is I really don't try to make it funny. My sarcastic attitude tends to cause most of the laughs. You're right. This is gonna be huge, especially since I see no end in sight for quite a while. Way to many prophecy related plot points to hit.

Little rini – never played maplestory. Don't have a whole lot of time for games between home schooling, writing ten-twelve pages chapters every day, and all the other things life requires. Though there are times where I just say screw it and do what I want. Otherwise I'd go crazy.

Imanewme – You're not the first one to want to slap themselves for not guessing it. Glad you like how things are developing and catching the little hints I throw out here and there. I'm already having a ton of fun with the Kouga pranks and they haven't even gotten started yet.

N8tivegurl – Psychonauts, I play it on the x-box. It's based in a summer camp for psychic kids to develop their powers in hopes to become 'psychonauts' (kinda like big important government agents or something) then something odd happens and you have to go into the minds of the counselors, etc to figure out who the bad guy is and what they're up to. It's really interesting and isn't hard to play either. I can't stand the ones where you hit a spot and just cant get past it no matter what. I always have to have my husband do those for me, but then I always end up beating all the harder challenges on San Andreas for him.

Arry – Glad you liked your chapter, and especially happy you like the way I did the arm thing. You may wish to plastic wrap your surroundings because there are gonna be an assload of limes while in Kagome's time. My mind just won't give it a rest. But there will probably a couple of chapters in between them, but at least you know they're coming!

Snowbirdyoukai – Glad you liked the arm scene. The whole Hojo thing will only get better. ASS is switching to their own server so they don't have any more problems with the site going down like it had been lately. It should be back up soon from what I've read.

Blueyedtigress – Natural habit for accents, eh? I pick them up. When I talk to someone with an accent for some reason I start talking in it too, without even realizing it. And of course then they think I'm mocking them or something. Odd and interesting, though it gets me in trouble.

Monk-miko – so much to look forward to. It's kinda funny, your review is almost like a 'next time on…' thing for my story. I hope you survived the wait!

Maddie50 – He'll get up the nerve to ask soon enough. The arm does make him more secure but it's just that irrational kind of fear that you know you shouldn't be afraid or nervous, but can't stop it anyway.

Inuatashi – I don't think I'd be able to resist giving them kids, even though the already have 9! No rush on the links. I probably won't have time to read them right away anyway.

Inupriestess – Glad you liked the way I did the arm. Took me a while to decide on that one. Thanks for the compliments… I don't know if I could write an original. So much easier to use premade characters. Dunno, maybe I'll have to think about it since so many people have said so.

Mraestalyn – Glad you liked the way I did the arm. And the Hojo thing only gets better!

Cocoke5 – got your card! Thanks! We'll be sending ours as soon as possible. My husband is fine. Tired, but fine. He's been working a lot of overtime, and he works overnight which makes getting enough sleep difficult.

Princess Kathleen – I would never have gotten that. Riddles are not my forte. I'm stuck in a limey mood, so they won't end any time soon.

Ity'girl – Kagome will go through some sort of 'transformation' once she follows the arrow and finds the item needed.

Dee – I wasn't originally planning on returning the arm, but I had a flood of requests and begging so I folded. I don't think he needs it, course I'm big on the 'love who you are not who I can make you be'

Airen2 – only child. Always wanted a little brother or sister.

Rina117 – If I could publish it I might actually try. Can't while using the inu cast.

Sesshysmiko – No crying and definitely no acting like Sasuke. I'm like 4 episodes behind, but they're on the tivo, awaiting me to find time for them. Merry Christmas to you too!


	62. Sesshoumaru's Day Out

**Chapter 62 – Sesshoumaru's Day Out**

Sesshoumaru's nose had wrinkled in disgust at the smell as soon as they walked out the door but he focused on the scent of the young woman at his side, which made the overall stench of her era bearable. He made sure to hold tightly to her side as they descended the large flight of stairs, concerned that his often clumsy miko might fall, especially considering the shoes she was wearing. Once they reached the bottom of the stairs he froze, staring at the street and the large, apparently metal, horrible smelling cars. Kagome gently explained in his mind, assuring him that they would not attack, that they were simply a means of transportation. Looking closer he noticed the humans sitting inside them, finally understanding at least somewhat. She guided him to the right and they walked slowly down the sidewalk, allowing the Feudal Era demon Lord to take in everything they passed, asking question after question. He was not at all concerned about her finding him inadequate because of his lack of knowledge, knowing instead that she fully understood and had nearly infinite patience with his inquiries.

As they passed others, both Kagome and Sesshoumaru could hear the whispers about his appearance. There were comments on his hair and markings, but most referred to his incredibly attractive form. Women would whisper about how lucky Kagome was to have such a man, teenage girls about how they wished they were her. Men seemed jealous as well, mostly about the amount of attention he was receiving from their wives and girlfriends. None of those comments bothered the pair but there was one that was making Sesshoumaru more and more upset as he heard it over and over again. Some of the jealous women could be heard saying that Kagome didn't deserve him, that she wasn't pretty enough. Teenage girls with this opinion went a step further, declaring the Kagome had to be easy, a slut, or worse. One even said that the woman he held close to him must give an exceptional blowjob to keep a man like that, unless of course she was paying him. Kagome could sense him getting angry and she knew why. Sure, she wasn't enjoying their words either but she had expected something along those lines and had not been disappointed.

'Sesshoumaru?' she asked silently. 'It's alright. It doesn't matter. You shouldn't get angry over something so petty.'

'It is far from petty. They are insulting the honor of my mate.'

'People always judge others. They're just saying those things to make themselves feel better about being jealous. If it doesn't bother me, you shouldn't let it bother you.'

He thought about it for a while as they walked. She was right of course, but he was used to being respected, or at the very least feared, but here he was unknown. He wondered if people in his time would whisper similar things if he was not so well known and feared. He couldn't help but be angered by the things they were saying about Kagome. She was sweet, kind, innocent, and completely undeserving of their insults. If only she didn't have increased hearing then at least she wouldn't have to listen to it. He fought to stay calm and contain his beast, who was taking even more offense than he and was much more apt to react violently if released. Sesshoumaru focused on her scent and aura. He let everything else fade into the background until all that existed was him and her. Once more caught not paying attention, he nearly knocked her down when she slowed to a stop outside her first destination. Of course he didn't let her fall. He caught her in his left arm, thankful once again for its return.

She smiled up at him, being held at an angle, his left arm supporting her body, and he leaned in to kiss her softly. He couldn't help himself. She just looked so perfect, trusting fully in him not to allow her to fall. The kiss was short but sweet, and then he righted her on her feet. She reached to open the door but he beat her to it, motioning with his hand for her to enter. She shouldn't have been surprised, really. Of course Sesshoumaru was chivalrous, at least to her. He practically screamed gentleman when he wasn't threatening to kill you. She walked through the open door and was a few steps in before she felt his hand take hold of her own, lacing their fingers together.

They were in a clothing store; at least that was his guess. He was right, but not completely. It was a children's clothing store. Kagome had shopped here in the past, buying toddler sized clothes for Shippo. They were easier than buying children's sizes and then altering them to fit his smaller form. The toddler clothes only required altering for his tail. Since summer was coming, it was time for her to buy new swimming trunks for Miroku and Inuyasha and a new one-piece for Sango, last year's having bit the dust by the season's end anyway. They were quite hard on their clothes, constantly being attacked by demons and all. Now she intended to buy new swim trunks for Shippo, along with a pair for each of the boys and a cute bathing suit for Rin as well. She laughed evilly in her mind… then she'd pick one up for Sesshoumaru.

He allowed her to lead them to a rack along the left side of the store; watching as she began looking through the hanging items. They looked similar to his boxers, but were made of a different kind of material. "Kagome? What is it you are looking for?"

"Hmm? Oh! I'm getting bathing suits for the kids. That way, when it gets really hot we can all swim together and cool off. I bought them for Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, and Shippo last year and the year before. They come in handy."

"And you wish to purchase these for our pups?"

Kagome's smile widened at his words. "Our pups? That… that sounds so… nice."

"It is the truth. You are and will always be the only mother they know and love. And since I do not intend to allow you to escape me, they will always be ours."

"But what if I wanted to escape?" she asked playfully. She didn't miss the pain that flashed in his eyes for just a second before his mask went up. Immediately she regretted her words. "Sesshoumaru, I was joking. I'm not going anywhere, unless you're going there with me."

He pulled her to his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around her smaller body. Even now he found himself oddly insecure when it came to Kagome. He expected that the feeling would continue until she was officially his mate. Hopefully then the annoying emotion would disappear. He wasn't used to feeling like this at all. "This Sesshoumaru would follow you wherever you wish to go," he murmured in her ear before kissing the crown of her head. "These look nothing like the bathing suit you wore in the spring."

Kagome reluctantly left the warmth and security of his arms to pull out and hold up a pair of primarily red swim trunks, covered in a pattern of large white hibiscus flowers. "That's because these are for boys. Guys don't generally wear shirts, though some wear ones like this one," she said with a smile, fingering the collar of his white undershirt. She checked the size and decided that these would be perfect for Yoshi who preferred red with white accents. Flipping through the others on the rack she selected a pair for each of the five eldest. Moving to a rack with the smaller sizes she picked out a pair for each of the youngest twins. Sesshoumaru merely watched, following her as she walked through the store in search of this or that.

A bell rang, signaling another customer entering or leaving the store, but neither paid it any attention. It was while Kagome was in the toddler section when she heard her name being called. "Kagome? Kagome Higurashi? What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be sick!" Kagome's face paled as she recognized the girl calling out to her. This would not be pretty.

"Momoko… hi. How are you?" Kagome asked politely but hesitantly as well.

"**I'm** just fine. And apparently so are **you**. Aren't you supposed to be sick in bed? I knew you were never sick. I do have to wonder what you're doing in **this** store. You're little brother is much too old to wear anything from here." The extremely nosey girl peered curiously at the items Kagome held. "So whose kid **are** you buying all those things for? I was right, wasn't I?"

"I… I'm buying summer things… for…" She paused, wracking her brain for any plausible answer. She couldn't very well tell her she was buying bathing suits for her nine children!

Sesshoumaru, who'd been standing a bit behind her and out of Momoko's range of focus, stepped closer to Kagome in an attempt to help her out. He understood from her nervousness, as well as from their conversation about him being called her fiancé to her friends, that saying they were his children wouldn't help the situation anymore than Kagome calling them hers. "She is assisting me in purchasing items for my younger siblings."

Immediately the world-renowned gossip's eyes and attention shifted to the tall, exotic looking man who had just spoken in the most erotic voice she'd ever heard. Drinking in the perfect example of male standing before her, she immediately felt a flood of warmth and desire course through her. He would be a lot of fun in bed, she was sure of it. And it wouldn't be too hard to lure him away from Kagome. "Oh? Why would you ask **Kagome** for help? She's barely been out of her house for the last two years. She has no idea what is popular these days, **obviously**." The last word was said as she scanned Kagome's outfit with a clear look of distaste on her face.

Sesshoumaru looked the offending girl up and down, evaluating her outfit since she apparently found Kagome's lacking. He failed to be impressed. She had a skirt on, one so tight and short that it barely covered the essentials. It was a shiny pink thing, most likely cheap pleather, though Kagome wouldn't have been surprised if it was latex. Her top appeared to be nothing more than a triangle of black fabric tied behind her back. It was pulled so tight over her breasts that he feared that the cloth would give under the strain and rip down the middle at any second. Her shoes were heels like Kagome's only the heel was thin and much higher, with straps wrapping around her ankles and halfway up her calves before being tied off with little black bows. Her hair was in high pigtails, curling around her cheeks which had more makeup on them than he's seen on some geisha's. The rest of her face wasn't much better. All in all she looked like a whore. Sure, the clothes had gotten more revealing, the makeup changed composition, but even after five hundred years the look was pretty much the same. Add to that her scent, in which he could detect the seed of at least five different males on and in her body, and he was convinced. He fought a disgusted shudder as he realized all five samples had to have been donated within the last 24 hours or so based on the strength of the scents.

'What does she believe to have been right about?'

'She was so kind as to start a rumor at school, shortly after I fell through the well the first time, that I was missing school not because I was ill but because I was pregnant. Everyone believed it for months until they noticed I wasn't getting any bigger. It was humiliating.' She could hear the low growl escaping him in his anger.

'How dare she do such a thing to our mate? How dare that whore tarnish our miko's honor? Kill her!' his beast cried out in his mind.

'_This Sesshoumaru cannot kill her. I promised Kagome I would do no such thing. But perhaps I can make her regret her lies..'_

Momoko watched as his eyes roamed her body, making sure she was standing in the most seductive pose she could thing of. He wanted her, she was sure of it. But then why wouldn't he, being stuck with such a boring little girl as his only companion. He turned and looked at Kagome for a second before turning back to her. She was convinced he was hooked. All she had to do was reel him in. "I would be more than willing to help you shop. I have a little brother and a little sister that are much younger than Kagome's little twerp. Unless of course there's a little Higurashi that she's hiding from the world." She paused, making sure that Kagome heard her little jab before continuing. "I know just what your siblings would like."

Kagome snorted out a laugh as she watched his facial expressions. 'She wants you, Sesshoumaru. She thinks that she can steal you away. And apparently she still thinks I was pregnant. Kami, I can't believe her!'

'Does she always dress as such?'

'Mostly. She's shortened all her school uniform skirts to ensure that when she bends over everyone gets a nice view of her thong, if she even bothered to put one on that day, meanwhile I'm supposed to be the one who got pregnant and hid it from everyone.'

'Thong?'

Kagome nearly laughed out loud and had to turn away from the girl before she could continue. Momoko just stood there in her 'sexy' pose thinking that he couldn't take his eyes off her. In truth he was having some trouble, but it was mostly because of the shock of the sight and the incredible urge he had to strangle the life out of the girl for hurting his Kagome. 'They're panties that have just a little triangle in the front that turns basically into a string that runs right up the crack of your ass where it meets the string that goes around the top. I'll have to show you a pair if they have any at the next store. It's hard to explain, but it covers so little there isn't really a point to wearing it at all.'

'And she believes that this Sesshoumaru would be interested in her?'

'Yep! She's a giant slut. I'll bet she's putting out waves of arousal right now, isn't she?'

'Yes, she certainly is. I can only pray I will be able to remove this stench from my nose. I am also more than aware of her promiscuity.'

'How? I mean besides the clothes?'

'I can smell them on her. It is more vile than the air outside.' Kagome actually started laughing this time, muffling the sound with her hand. She just couldn't help it. It was too funny.

"Why would I ask Kagome to assist me? Because she is my girlfriend and I trust **her** opinion," he said with a smirk, glad he could remember the right word when he needed it. "If I wished for my little sister to join your profession then I would definitely ask for your help, as you are obviously an expert in the field."

Momoko crinkled her brow in confusion. First she had no idea why such a perfect male specimen would choose someone as boring and goody-goody as Kagome. She was so busy thinking about that, she nearly missed his second sentence. "What profession?" she asked, setting herself up perfectly.

"You're apparel and behavior has led me to believe you are a whore. Am I mistaken?" He said this all the while keeping a completely serious look on his face. Guess all that training at holding in his emotions was worth it. Kagome lost the battle and turned, burying her face in his chest, his arm wrapping around her as her body shook with her laughter while Sesshoumaru watched Momoko's face grow an increasing brighter red with her anger and embarrassment. Her hand pulled back and she attempted to slap him but found her wrist caught in his previously free hand, a dark smirk on his face. "It would not be wise to strike me girl." His voice sounded dangerous and she immediately tried to wrench her arm from his hold. "It would also not be wise to insult my Kagome again. Do you understand?" She was terrified now. His hold was impossible to escape so she nodded her understanding, hoping he would release her. "Apologize," he hissed out.

"I… I… Kagome… I'm… I'm sorry! Please, can you make him let go?"

Kagome turned from his chest and looked at the girl. "Sure I can. The question is will I. I have spent the last two years listening to your gossip, your lies. Why? Why do you find it so entertaining to spread rumors about me? Why would you say those things? What possessed you to tell everyone that I was pregnant? If anyone was to get pregnant at our school it would most definitely be you!"

"I… I don't know why I said it! I'm sorry! Please!" They were beginning to attract the attention of the other customers in the store, Momoko's hand still just inches from Sesshoumaru's face, her wrist held tight enough to prevent her escape but not enough to cause any real pain or damage. If he'd wanted to, or rather been allowed to, he could have shattered the bones in her wrist with absolutely no additional effort.

"If this Sesshoumaru ever hears that another bad word has been said against my Kagome you will not get off so easily." He glanced down at Kagome, who nodded once. He opened his hand, releasing her wrist so quickly she lost her balance and fell on her ass looking up at them in shock and fear. "It would be wise for you to cease your intimate activities. You carry not only an illness but a child." Her eyes widened and she was frozen for a moment before she scrambled to her feet and out the door. Everyone in the store went back to their own shopping now that the show was over and Kagome picked up where she left off as well.

By the time she was ready to go to the register she was holding an arm load. There was one pair of swim trunks, one tank top, and two pairs of pajamas, consisting of shorts and a short sleeved top, for each of the boys, including Shippo. She'd bought the clothes for the pups a little big because she knew they were going to be growing fast, especially considering the small age difference between Isamu and Yuudai and the others and their difference in size. The swim trunks and pajama shorts all had ties at the waist so they wouldn't be falling down all the time. Then there was a cute one piece bathing suit, a pair of board shorts, a nightgown, a pair of pink pajamas with shorts and a short sleeved top, three sundresses, socks and panties, two pairs of sandals, and one pair of sneakers for Rin. Kagome figured that the boys would prefer to be barefoot, but Rin's human feet could use some protection for the rocky ground they would be traveling. It had taken her a while to find a bathing suit for Rin that was conservative enough for Sesshoumaru to accept, which was why she had the board shorts to wear over her suit when not in the water. She is daddy's little girl after all.

She piled all of her selections on the counter by the register and they both watched as the cashier eyed her oddly. She had made an interesting variety of purchases, and most in large amounts, so Kagome wasn't surprised. Sesshoumaru watched closely as the woman moved something shining out a red line of light across the little tags of paper that were attached to all the items for some mysterious reason. Kagome, seeing his curiosity, launched into a silent explanation of price tags, UPC codes, and the basic idea of the scanner. He watched as numbers blinked on what Kagome had called a 'screen' until the woman announced a total and began to fold and bag the items. Kagome pulled out her wallet, slipping out her credit card and ID. She swiped her card and signed her name on the little screen. The cashier didn't ask to see her ID so both went back into the wallet as the receipt printed up and was placed in one of the bags. Kagome gathered them up, Sesshoumaru then taking them from her hands, and they left the store, heading to her next destination.

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After the discussion of ideas and the making of plans it was decided that they needed more information before they could successfully put their plans into action. There were several more wolves with Kouga than just Ginta and Hakaku, two that Inuyasha knew Kagome was especially friendly with. They needed to find out just how many wolf demons there were as well as how many wolves they had with them. They needed to find out what they were doing to pass the time while they waited, establish how carefully they were watching their surroundings, and adjust their battle plan accordingly.

This decision led them to where they currently were, in the bushes that lined the clearing the wolves had chosen for their camp, their scents and auras masked, watching in absolute silence as the wolves went about their day. It was nearing time for lunch and several of the wolf demons had been sent to the nearby stream for fish. All that remained around their campfire were Kouga, Ginta, and Hakaku, along with four wolves that lay near their feet. The spies listened carefully, hoping to learn what the group was planning to do for the week until Kagome returned.

"Kouga, are we really going to wait a whole week for Kagome to come back?" Ginta asked while looking expectantly at Kouga.

"What do you mean 'are we really'? Of course we are! We're going to stay here until my Kagome comes back. Then I will tell her of my decision to escort her on her travels. I can't wait 'til the mutt sees just how excited she's gonna be to have me around all the time. I just wish I knew where she went! How can she just disappear for a week? It isn't like when dog-breath lost her. He knows where she is. He knows she's safe. But of course the bastard won't tell me! I deserve to know where she is! She's **my** woman! She's **my** mate-to-be! If anyone at all should know where she is it should be **me**!"

"But what if Sesshoumaru really is with her? Wouldn't he return with her?"

"So what? I don't know what Kagome is doing with that icicle but it doesn't matter. You know her heart is bigger than her common sense sometimes. She's probably managed to make friends with his little herd of runts like she did with his little girl. That's the only reason I can think of that Inuyasha wouldn't be throwing a fit. She's probably off doing something for the pups. I'll bet she 'sat' Inuyasha until he couldn't stop her from leaving. Kami, do I love it when she 'sits' him!" Kouga paused for a minute, gazing off into nowhere while remembering the many times his Kagome had subjugated the hanyou to protect him. Not that he needed her protection from the half-breed, but it was still sweet of her to worry for him and to want to keep him safe. It was one of the reasons he was so sure she cared about him. "Even if Sesshoumaru wants her, which I still doubt, being that he hates humans and she is most definitely human, a beautiful human but still human, he could never convince her. He could never get her to agree to be his mate. Kagome's looking for love. She would never be interested in someone so cold and vicious! She wants a man who's not afraid to show his emotions, not afraid to let everyone know who he loves. Kagome wants me! I'm not afraid of him! It's not like he's a threat to me. He just got lucky the last time. I won't be outnumbered this time. If he wants to fight me he's more than welcome!"

"But Kouga, would you really want to fight Lord Sesshoumaru? You know that he's…"

"He's nothing! Are you trying to say you don't think I could beat him?!"

"No! No… that's not what I'm saying, Kouga! It's just… if he really is interested in her… if he issues a challenge…"

"What? If he issues a challenge, what? He couldn't beat me in a challenge. If it was just me against him, with no outside interference, I know I can kick his frigid ass!"

The inu in the bushes, as well as the single kitsune and one little girl were finding it difficult not to jump out and teach the wolf the error of his ways, but they managed to control their urges and remain silent. They watched as the other wolves returned with their catch and the wolves, both demon and non-demon, dug in. It was disgusting. They ate like wild animals, not a single manner in the bunch. The pups nearly snorted their derision, seeing just the level of class the wolf **prince** and his followers really had. Kagome would never be able to eat in their presence, not if they ate like that in front of her. She'd lose her appetite in an instant.

They took this time to count just how many there were in Kouga's group. Besides Kouga, Ginta, and Hakaku, there were four other wolf demons, making a total of seven. There were also nine wolves, though their senses were no where near equal to those of their demon counterparts and would be much less of an issue. Armed with this knowledge, they retreated from their positions in the brush and returned to their camp; discussing what they should do first, as well as just how hungry all that information gathering had made them. Thankfully when they arrived lunch was almost ready. They ate in relative silence and then separated into smaller groups to pass the time until Kaede came for their afternoon miko lessons.

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The next store was close to the first, just a few doors down, and sold summer clothing. They carried a large variety of swimwear, which was just what Kagome was looking for. Sesshoumaru followed her around, carrying the bags and watching her flip through the items hanging from the racks. It didn't take her long to select trunks for Inuyasha and Miroku, but it did take her a while to find a one-piece that Sango would actually wear. Kagome smiled at the thought. Perhaps, now that she and Miroku had confessed their feelings for each other, her friend might not be so nervous about swimming in mixed company. She grabbed a pair of board short for Sango that matched her suit and a pair for herself that would go well with the bikini she'd bought when shopping with her mother. She even remembered to grab a pair of sandals for both Miroku and Sango. There was no point in buying any for Inuyasha and she didn't think Sesshoumaru would wear them in his time either.

Sesshoumaru had taken an interest in the variety of bikinis that lined the racks in the store, some that would give a fair amount of coverage, some that would cover merely the essentials, and then some that he couldn't see the point in at all. Kagome smirked behind his back as she watched him pick up an extraordinarily small string bikini, holding it up for careful inspection. "See something you like?" she whispered behind him, causing him to drop the item that he'd moments before been imagining Kagome in. She merely laughed before picking it up and hanging it back on the rack. She flipped through for a moment before pulling out the perfect example. She removed the bottoms from the hanger and held them up for him to examine. "This is a thong."

He lifted a brow, wondering what, if anything, the tiny scrap actually covered. "I believe I may require a demonstration."

"I'm sure you do, but I'm not trying it on. Anyone could have tried it on before me… even Momoko. The very idea makes me want to take a hot shower. Maybe… if you're a good boy…" she smiled as he frowned. "…I'll buy a nice little bra and panty set kinda like that and let you see."

"This Sesshoumaru would do more than just see. I find the idea intriguing. Hmm… I believe I would prefer red, though the black was nice… and I am looking forward to removing the purple ones this evening." He smirked at her blush, knowing full well that she was not solely embarrassed, but aroused by the idea as well. He breathed in the scent deeply, finding himself tempted to do more than smell as he removed any remaining trace of the stench of the whore they'd encountered. He successfully replaced it with Kagome's absolutely delicious scent, making his mind slightly foggy for a moment before he pushed it away.

"So sure?" she teased.

"I was promised… and I will not forget either." He most certainly intended to hold her to her promise. Their shower didn't count. No, he would finish what he'd started in the well house that morning. He would make very good use of both of his hands and she would **never** forget it.

"Yeah, yeah… Now we need to find trunks for you. So, what color would you prefer for yourself? White? Red? Any suggestion at all would help, honest."

He thought about it for a while. He wasn't sure about wearing these 'trunks' but if Kagome planned on swimming with the children, the slayer, his brother, and the monk… and he didn't have a pair… He let out a sigh before giving in completely. He would not miss a chance to play in the water with her, and he expected that the children would wish for him to join them, especially if everyone else did. He began looking through the rack she'd stopped at, trying to find something that would not be incredibly embarrassing. She held up choices every now and then but they were all shot down. He couldn't get just solid red because she'd selected that for his brother. Finally he found the perfect pair. He held them up for her inspection and watched as her smile widened.

"They're perfect! And they're the right size!" she declared with excitement after taking a quick peek at the tag. "You are going to look delicious."

"I thought I was already delicious," he said with a very cute little pout.

"Even more delicious than usual," she said as she leaned into his body, pressing a heated kiss to his lips. When she started to pull away his arms immediately wrapped around her back, holding her to him and deepening the kiss. When she needed to breathe he released her lips to kiss along her jaw line, feeling her nearly melt against him. "Sesshoumaru…" she said in a near whisper. "Not here… later, okay?" She was right of course but it didn't make letting her go any easier. When he'd finally forced his arms to release her he gave her one last barely brushing kiss to her temple. With her selections in her arms and Sesshoumaru holding their other bags and his choice of trunks they proceeded to the check-out. It was quick and they only needed one bag this time. Kagome insisted on carrying it and the two left the store, heading for Kagome's final destination before they returned to the shrine.

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He pulled his head back around the corner of the building just in time. He'd been watching them since they left the shrine and found his self more and more confused by their behavior. When they'd gone into the children's clothing store he had searched his brain for any reason for his Kagome to go there but failed to find an answer. It was then he decided that she must be assisting this oaf in shopping for his family members, or perhaps other, younger residents of the establishment he was housed in if his family had abandoned him once they'd discovered his mental deficiency. It was so sweet of his Kagome to help this Neanderthal with his purchases. She was always the kind to sacrifice her precious time for the sake of another, even risking her health as he was certain she should be resting instead of escorting this ignoramus. His eyes narrowed as he watched Momoko enter the store from his corner of the front window of the store.

That girl had no right to approach his Kagome and speak in her presence. The cheap, loose, and immoral gossip had tarnished his beloved Kagome's honor nearly beyond repair. He was loathe to admit it but he had even believed her tales for a short time. When it was made clear that Momoko's words were nothing but lies he found himself feeling incredibly guilty. He had questioned the purity of his Kagome. He'd believed the words of another rather than having faith in the fact that his Kagome would never have given her body willingly to another when she was saving herself for him and him alone. She was saving her self for their wedding night, the wait for which would make the experience all the more enjoyable.

He couldn't hear the words that were said but he saw as Kagome turned away, obviously upset by the foul things that spouted constantly from the herpes riddled mouth of the school slut. When she found comfort with her odd companion he was filled momentarily with rage. How dare that… that… nincompoop touch her, hold her to his body? He had no right to comfort the sweet angel Kagome and it bothered him that Kagome would allow such physical contact between them. Did she not realize the conflicting messages she was sending to this goliath?

Apparently the pea brained mammoth shared his distaste for the intruding bitch, because as the colossus spoke he could see the anger take light in Momoko's eyes. He watched from the window as she raised her hand to him, eyes widening as her wrist was suddenly trapped within the grasp of a very large hand. He hadn't even seen him move! As the large male continued to speak the trollop appeared less angry and more afraid. He watched his Kagome turn and speak angrily to the cause of the rumors that had spread through their school. The girl dressed as a streetwalker spoke hurriedly, a pleading look on her face and he nearly laughed aloud as he watched as her wrist was released and she fell on her ass, on the ground where one such as her belonged. She didn't deserve the luxury of the carpet she had been gifted to land on. No, Momoko deserved to be on the ground surrounded by filth of a similar nature as her self. Perhaps a nice pit of mud would be acceptable. He found himself considering just how he could go about shoving the offensive girl into a nice deep mud puddle, in front of their entire class if at all possible. Certainly his Kagome would appreciate his avenging of her honor.

So deep in his thoughts was he that he nearly missed it when they'd exited the first shop and entered she second. He'd followed at a fair distance to prevent them from detecting his presence, waiting until they'd begun looking amongst the goods this vendor offered before peeking through the front window as he had at the last store. He watched as his beloved Kagome selected several items, none of which seemed to be for her as they would most definitely not have complemented her perfect figure or coloring. He glanced around, trying to locate her oversized companion. He spotted him poking his way through a rack of the most revealing swimsuits Hojo had ever seen. He'd nearly laughed then. So starved for female attention was the mountain of a man that he'd been reduced to caressing revealing garments in public places.

Once again he was dazed when Kagome went to his side, pulling out an example that may as well have been constructed out of dental floss, holding it up for her mongoloid companion to examine while she spoke. If he hadn't known better he would have thought that Kagome was flirting with the fool. When she leaned in and kissed him, Hojo's heart had nearly stopped. His eyes refused to look away as arms wrapped around her back and their shared kiss became increasingly passionate. He was relieved when she appeared to come to her senses, letting her body go limp in an attempt to slide from his hold. Though the lunk head had held tightly to her, after she'd spoken a few words he allowed her escape, Kagome immediately rushed to the checkout in an obvious attempt to end this torturous experience as soon as possible.

And now he crouched behind a dumpster as they passed the small alley he'd hidden himself in. Once they were a few yards ahead of him again he left the alley to continue his task. He had to watch over his Kagome after all. She was just too kindhearted and he was sure she had no idea how much danger she could be in if this dunce decided he wanted more than friendly attention from his beautiful female companion. It was something Hojo felt was bound to happen, especially if one took into account the forced embrace that occurred just moments ago. He would be there, though. He would be her knight in shining armor, protecting her from the ogre that would threaten her very well-being. He would save her and she would be forever grateful. Oh the wonderful things she would do for him, and to him, as a show her appreciation.

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Kagome glanced behind them as they walked down the sidewalk, the third time she'd done so in as many minutes.

"Kagome? Is there a problem?"

She looked up into concerned golden eyes. "I don't know. I just have the weirdest feeling, like someone is watching me. I've had it all morning since we left the shrine but it's gotten stronger. Every time I turn around I can't find anyone looking. It's driving me crazy!"

Sesshoumaru extended his senses since his nose wasn't much use considering the level of pollution in the air. He felt humans… nothing but humans. But there was one aura that was strangely familiar. His steps slowed as he tried to place the feeling. It had to be someone he'd met in this era but he couldn't remember who the aura belonged to. For him not to remember the identity of the person, he had to have considered them utterly insignificant. "Kagome… what humans have I met since we arrived?"

She looked at him in confusion but began to list them off. "Well, there's Mama, Souta, and Grandpa. Then there was Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi. And then Momoko at the first store. That's everyone I think… Wait! I forgot about Hojo!" She saw him stiffen, his entire body going tense at her words. "What… What is it, Sesshoumaru?"

"Is there a store you can go into and wait for me? One where there will be other people?"

Kagome glanced around, still absolutely confused and now slightly afraid. She spotted an acceptable place to wait and nodded. "Sure. I can go in there and get a coffee. They have tables so I could sit and wait. But why? Where are you going?"

He noted which store she'd pointed out before handing her the bags. "Go. Now. I will return in a few minutes. Do not worry. This Sesshoumaru will keep his promises to you. There is someone who will be answering a few questions is all. Everything will be fine. Now, go," he ordered, standing and watching as she reluctantly entered the shop before he vanished completely, moving faster than the human eye could follow. He was disturbed by this human's behavior. What reason would this boy have to trail them as they shopped? Knowing that the boy held affections for Kagome just added to his concern. This could not be allowed to continue and he would put a stop to it right now.

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Author's Notes:

Momoko – peach child

I'm still on a roll. Thru 65 is done.

Reviewer Responses:

Syoze – too cool that I was reading a review here on Monday night and you were writing it there Tuesday morning. Glad you got internet connection. I don't think I could go too long without it now.

N8tivegurl – Never played Resident Evil, course I don't play too much to begin with. We've got a PS2 too but for the life of me I can't remember what games I play on it. Kouga's gonna be a lot of fun.

Imanewme – Kagome's getting more and more comfortable with the whole thing so Sesshoumaru won't be missing out too much longer. So many things you're waiting for and I only covered on this chapter.

Teetopscout – with so many kids its kinda difficult to make sure everyone gets attention. But shippo's gonna be a big part of the pranks since he can use his fox magic to do so many things. Glad you liked the shower scene, sorry it came when you were going to work.

Blueyedtigress – Entertaining once again. I love accents. I like Lily Allen (British singer) mostly because she sounds so cute with her accent.

Monk-miko – a whole chapter devoted to shopping, so not my thing but oh well, it was fun, and there will be more too.

Arry – I'll let you know when it gets here. Glad you liked the shower scene. Gonna be another lime at the end of the 'day' (story time of course) and I'll bet you'll like it. Oh, and one in 65 too, though its not a Sesshy one.

Maddie50 – Sesshy will receive his fair share, no worries there.

Snowbirdyoukai – and yet the lemon is still so far away. Oh, wifebeaters are those white tank top under shirts. I think it's called that because you always see hillbilly drunk husbands wearing them. I suppose undershirt would work too, but I'm at least 50 hillbilly myself so it just came out that way.

Mysesshou – Sorry to hear about your moms accident. My mom seems alright now, though still pouting. It's always her that breaks things or wrecks things. Always. She's got this little black cloud floating over her head. –

Chibi strawberry neko – Cuz they've only been working on their relationship for like 2 weeks and there's just so many different kinds of limes I can do. I'm not gonna rush it. Limes will have to suffice for now, though there is kind of a lemon in 65, but not sesshy.

Nene09 – Thought is definitely all that counts. Well, that and Destiny's face lighting up when I hand her another card. Glad your enjoying! Took me forever to pick out that outfit and I still needed extensive help from my Jenna.

Dreamer1010 – Glad you're enjoying it. I'll keep updating as often as I can. I wouldn't be surprised if I posted on Christmas, though then I would leave off the reviewer responses. Maybe I should have a special Christmas posting. Hmmm. Now I have to plan something

Sesshysmiko – My husband feels the same way about me writing, which is why I don't get much writing done on the weekends unless he's asleep.

Fluffyandkagome – I bet you're pretty blue right about now, or really dead. Lets hope for the first one. Take in a nice big breath!

Roguemariel – Yesterday? And you're already caught up? Do you sleep?

Akemi Shikon – if it was only so easy. I'd still have to build my own world around my 'original' characters (read Inuyasha only not). Maybe if I ever find the end of this one I'll start something original, but I've got so many fanfic ideas too!

Alucards-master – School comes first little grasshopper. Study hard and do well or I'll have to stop updating til I get proof of good grades. Hell, that'd be funny. School work first, then hentai story!

That wasn't so bad! Didn't even take that long this time, but then I did get nearly half the reviews this chapter than the one before it. Always wonder what makes some have more than others. Lemme see, oh ok. The next chapter, 63, is called to **Eat or not to Eat, That is the Question**. 64's called **Lousy Timing**, and 65 doesn't have a name yet but there's a lemon in it, though its not what you're hoping for.


	63. To Eat Or Not To Eat, That Is The Ques

**Chapter 63 – To Eat Or Not To Eat, That Is The Question**

He'd seen Kagome look back but had hidden in time, stepping behind the propped open door of another store. Peeking around the edge of his wooden shield he saw that they had slowed and then stopped as they talked. Kagome looked confused as Sesshoumaru handed her the bags and motioned for her to go ahead. He'd only blinked but when he opened his eyes the oversized, tattooed man was gone, as if he'd vanished into thin air. He was just stepping around the door to go and 'accidentally bump into' Kagome in the coffee shop she'd entered when he felt something pulling him backwards. No matter how he struggled he could not free himself from whatever or whoever had a hold of him.

It hadn't taken Sesshoumaru long to locate the stalker once he knew who he was looking for. He stopped right behind the boy who was peering around a door in an attempt to see Kagome. When he began to step forward the demon lord had merely grasped the collar of his shirt, pulling him along until they were in an alley between stores and a bit back from the sidewalk. He pushed Hojo rather roughly against the brick wall, finding the boy's eyes full of confusion for a moment before they flooded with pure contempt.

"Why are you following us?" Sesshoumaru asked, his voice stating clearly 'answer or die a painful death at my hands'.

Hojo looked into the odd golden eyes of the man who'd been spending too much time with his Kagome. "I am making sure that you don't attack her."

Sesshoumaru's brows furrowed. "Why would this Sesshoumaru attack her?"

"Because you are obviously a dangerous individual. I will not entrust her safety to an idiot and a hooligan."

Sesshoumaru growled and Hojo's eyes widened. "Did you just refer to this Sesshoumaru as an idiot?"

"Y..yes," he stuttered before drawing up every ounce of bravery he contained. "Why else would my sweet Kagome spend time with someone like you?"

"Someone like me?" he asked with his voice full of warning that Hojo either couldn't hear or refused to heed.

"Just look at you! Tattoos on your face! You're obviously in a gang of some sort, or perhaps were before whatever happened to make you so dim. So, was it too much steroids or did you hit your head while out with your gang members and up to no good?"

Sesshoumaru had no idea what this boy had just asked him but it was clear that this human had no idea how much danger he was putting himself in by continuing to speak in a derogatory manner to the much larger and much stronger male. "This Sesshoumaru will inform you of this only once. Kagome is not yours. Kagome is mine and mine alone. She is not and has never been interested in you in any capacity greater than a friend. If you continue to pursue her or continue to follow us I will not be so forgiving. Find another female because the one you desire belongs to me, mind, body, and soul."

"Why should I listen to you? Kagome is **mine**. She has been for years and she **always will be**. Why would she be interested in a **thug**? Why would she spend time with you if it was not out of **pity**? Her heart is too big for her own good and you have simply mistaken her well-intentioned friendship for something more. You are nothing but a fool if you think that Kagome Higurashi would ever be romantically involved with someone of **your** **class and intelligence**. You might as well give up and go back to wherever you came from because she will **never** be yours." Hojo held his head high as he spoke, not feeling even the slightest hint of fear. This was something that needed to be done. This oversized dolt needed to be put in his place. He couldn't be allowed to continue his pursuit of his sweet, innocent Kagome. He could not be allowed the chance to hurt her, to force him self on her. He, Hojo, would not allow such a travesty to occur.

Sesshoumaru had to close his eyes for a moment as he fought to hold back his beast while also fighting back is own desire to kill this insolent fool. How dare he speak in such a manner to him, Lord Sesshoumaru? Only the thought of his promise to Kagome kept him from removing this boy's head from his shoulders. When he was fairly certain he wouldn't melt the offensive human he opened his eyes once again. "You must be the most deluded, foolish, persistent, and oblivious human I have ever had the displeasure of laying eyes on. I will not warn you again. You will stay away or there will be no mercy. She does not want such a puny weak human. She never has and she never will."

Hojo began to shake as he watched the odd golden eyes change slowly to blood red. He had to be imagining things, because if he wasn't then there was no way this… thing… was human. No possible way. Humans didn't have eyes that changed colors. Humans didn't growl or snarl. Humans didn't bare their teeth, showing off impossibly long canines that could only be called fangs. No, he had to be imagining things. It wouldn't be the first time. He closed his eyes tightly as if willing the sight away but when he opened them it remained, still just as horrifyingly inhuman as before.

The scent of the human's fear was overwhelming and heavy, hanging in the air around them. "This is your final warning. I can ensure that they never find even the smallest scrap of you. They would never retrieve even the tip of a finger or a lock of hair. You would disappear completely from this world with nearly no effort from myself. If you wish to remain alive then you will stay away from her, from **my** Kagome. Do you understand me, boy?" Hojo was frozen with fear from the threats from whatever this man really was. He couldn't move. He couldn't blink. He could barely draw in a breath. Sesshoumaru, however, didn't care how frightened the boy was. He demanded an answer. He let out a bone rattling snarl and his hand began to glow bright green with his poison. He allowed it to drip to the ground near the boy's feet, everywhere a drop landed sizzling as the acid burned through the concrete, leaving behind oddly shaped depressions. "Do… you… understand…?"

Hojo's body finally allowed him to respond to the fear coursing through him, nodding his head uncontrollably while clenching his eyes shut against the green glow and the sizzling craters, the blood red orbs and the deadly fangs. He could do nothing else but shake in terror. Sesshoumaru glanced down as he caught a whiff of another scent, letting out a noise of disgust as he took a step back. "Pathetic…" he said as he turned and walked away, leaving Hojo to slide down the wall and curl into a ball, not even noticing what had so disgusted the demon lord. In his horror Hojo had pissed his pants.

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Before he returned to her side the demon lord made certain his eyes had returned to normal and his poison no longer dripped from the tips of his claws. It would do him no good to draw attention to himself. When he was fully composed once more he walked back out onto the sidewalk and headed to where his miko awaited his return. Opening the door Sesshoumaru found himself swamped with dozens of new scents and his eyes darted around in search of Kagome. He needed to bury his face in her hair and breathe her in to rid himself of the scent of the human boy's fear and bodily fluids as well as the strong aromas of the variety of coffees brewed in the small café. Once he spotted her he made his way past the other customers and slipped into the seat beside her. She sat still, staring into the dark colored, bitter smelling liquid in a cup on the table in front of her. He could feel her worry, knew she was anxious for his return.

"Kagome," he said softly, his hand shooting out to keep the cup from spilling when her entire body jumped in surprise. "Why are you so tense? I have handled the situation."

She looked him over head to toe, almost as if she were checking him for blood to assure herself he hadn't killed the one who followed them. She'd already deduced that it had to be Hojo from the way Sesshoumaru reacted when she said his name. She'd been imagining all the things Sesshoumaru could be doing to the obviously dense boy while she sat a short distance away sipping coffee as if everything were fine. "Was it Hojo?" she asked even though she already knew the answer.

"Yes. I have taken care of it. He will not follow us again. Apparently he was under the impression that I was somehow dangerous and that you were at risk while in my presence. He is convinced that you are **his**. Though I doubt he could be convinced otherwise I do believe he will do his best to avoid any further contact with this Sesshoumaru."

"What did you do?" she asked suspiciously.

"I merely frightened the boy. He was not injured, though his trip to his home will be embarrassing."

Kagome's brows furrowed. "And why is that?"

Sesshoumaru smirked. "Apparently he was more than adequately frightened as he lost control of his bladder."

Kagome laughed for a second. "You made him pee his pants? Oh Kami, Sesshoumaru. Tell me you didn't do anything that would make him think you were…" She decided to continue in silence. '…not human?' The look in his eyes was answer enough. 'Sesshoumaru! What if he tells someone what he saw?'

'There is something off with the boy. I do not believe he is in his right mind. There is little chance anyone would believe him.'

'You think he's crazy?'

'He is certainly not sane,' was his response.

"You know, that doesn't really surprise me. He's always seemed rather odd. Well, come on. Let's go to the last store and then we'll head back to the shrine. The girls will be there in an hour and I don't want them to get there before we do." Sesshoumaru nodded and gathered the bags from their place at her feet, watching her take one last swig from her cup before dropping it into a garbage receptacle as she passed. They left the café and continued down the sidewalk as if nothing had occurred at all.

The last stop Kagome wanted to make for the day was the grocery store. She needed to pick up some more supplies, though she'd have to come back another day to stock up on ramen, and most importantly she wanted to find something Sesshoumaru would like to eat. She grabbed a cart on the way in, having him set all the bags in it, and started their trek up and down the aisles. The demon lord was absolutely overwhelmed with all the different scents in the air. He looked at almost every single package, trying to figure out just what kind of food it contained by the picture on the front.

After a few aisles, picking up some more chips, jerky, trail mix, and some other well loved 'ninja food' items, Kagome decided it was time to ask. 'I'm guessing you would prefer meat, raw right?' She immediately noticed how he looked away, not answering. 'You do know it doesn't bother me, right? I know you're a demon, a predator. I understand. You don't have to hide it from me.'

His arms wrapped around her waist where she stood. "How did this Sesshoumaru get so lucky to have you?"

"Hmmm. I don't know. Maybe you were a really good boy in a past life." She paused for a minute, looking contemplative. "Or maybe it has something to do with saving the life of an adorable little girl, taking care of her and loving her like your own, despite your feelings about her species as a whole. I think that might just be it. Now come with me and we'll check and see what kinds of meat they've got and if anything looks good. "

He pressed a quick kiss to her hair before releasing her and following her down the aisle to the back of the store. She stopped and pointed to a glass case. Underneath it were nicely cut slabs of meat. "Well? Probably not the same as you're used to but it's better than nothing. See anything you like?" He looked closely, reading the little signs identifying the cuts and prices while sniffing the air, trying to catch a whiff of the meat behind glass. He ended up selecting several nice thick steaks, something she called 'boneless pork chops', a rack of lamb, and quite a bit of finely sliced meat otherwise intended for fajitas or Philly cheese steak sandwiches, not that he had any idea what either were. She grabbed a couple of packages of bacon, half because it sounded really good and half for him to try. They collected the rest of her desired items before heading to the checkout.

Once everything was bagged and paid for they started the walk back to the shrine. Each carried several bags, though Sesshoumaru held anything that was even slightly heavy, leaving Kagome to carry mostly potato chips. She'd complained of course, declaring that she wasn't a weak little human girl, but he merely shrugged and declared that it was his duty as her mate to do such things. She rolled her eyes but gave up the fight. Besides, why should she complain about not having to lug heavy bags all the way up the steep flight of stairs that led to her home? He was a big strong demon. He could handle that and more and she knew it. Just the thought of how strong he was made her body tingle and she found herself once more attempting to force away the images her mind seemed intent to show her.

Once they arrived Kagome had him leave the bags from the grocery store on the table before taking the others upstairs to her room. By the time he'd returned most of the bags had disappeared, stored in the corner of the laundry room until she was ready to take them back to the feudal era. His selections were lined up on the counter, wrapped in white butcher paper with little labels stuck on and holding the packages closed.

"I didn't know if you'd want to eat now or later. I don't imagine you would enjoy it cold so let me know what you're going to eat today and the rest I'll put in the fridge to keep it from spoiling."

"And where do you intend for this Sesshoumaru to eat? Surely you do not wish for me to sit at the dining room table with your family."

"I hadn't really thought about it, though you're probably right. I don't think Souta could handle it. How about you take what you want upstairs and eat in my room. If you want privacy I can stay down here. We've got about fifteen minutes or so before the girls should be here. I… I don't want you to think you need to hide this from me. If we're going to be together for a long time I am eventually going to have to see you eat. If you want to wait 'til they're gone so you have more time I understand. They're probably still cold so we can leave out what you want and let it get closer to room temperature."

He watched as she rambled, knowing that she was unsure of how to handle the situation. Honestly, so was he. He didn't want her to watching him eat and be disgusted but at the same time he couldn't very well hide it from her every single time he ate for the rest of their lives. Of course she didn't think it would bother her but she couldn't be certain… not until she'd actually watched. "This Sesshoumaru will eat in your room if you are certain it will not be a problem."

"It's fine. What do you want? Do you… do you cut it up somehow or do you just…?"

"I would generally cut the meat into thin strips. It is easier and much less messy."

"I can imagine. Otherwise you'd end up with blood on your pristine white clothes," she said with a smile. She watched as he walked up to the counter and looked at the packages. He unwrapped one of the larger ones that contained several steaks as she pulled a wooden cutting board out from a cupboard below the counter. "Put what you want on here. That way you can cut it without any trouble. I don't suppose you need a knife?"

He smirked at her. "My claws are sharper than any knife you could find."

"And yet they have never cut me. How is that?" It was something she'd wondered every now and then. If they were so deadly sharp, which she knew they were as she'd used them to cut her arm during her miko powers test with the pups, then how did she never receive even the slightest of wounds when they trailed over her skin?

"This Sesshoumaru is careful not to cause you harm. Pain would be the exact opposite of what I am trying to make you feel when I touch you." He smirked at her before picking up one of the steaks and laying it on the wooden surface before starting to rewrap the others. Kagome stopped him, sliding it towards her and wrapping it back up before pushing it to the side. He opened the next package and removed a small slab of pork, this time just sliding the open package towards her.

"Going for a little of everything?"

"This Sesshoumaru has never eaten meat like this before."

"It's alright with me. Your food anyway. Are you gonna slice off some of the lamb too?" He nodded as he unwrapped the large rack of lamb and used a claw to slice off a section. He slid that package as well as the one containing the thin slices towards her and watched as she rewrapped the ones he'd opened and placed them all in the thing she'd referred to as the 'fridge'. She had explained to him the basic idea and he had to admit that it was quite an innovation, a way to keep food from spoiling by keeping it cold. He was secretly impressed with all the progress that humans made during just five hundred years. Obviously humans increased in intelligence as time passed because he was certain that no human from his time would even come close to grasping the concept.

"So do you want me to stay down here while you eat or is it alright if I'm in there with you?"

He looked at her with concern. "I do not wish for you to think less of me, or to see me as nothing more than a wild animal."

"Sesshoumaru, I know there's an animal in you. I know you have your primal demonic side. I've seen him, been touched by him, and held and kissed by him. But you also have your civilized side. They are both still you, still my Sesshoumaru. I accept them both. I love them both and any combination in between. If this bothered me then it wouldn't bode well for our future together. It doesn't. But I understand your hesitance. If it will make you more comfortable I can stay down here."

"You will not think less of me?" he asked with worry in his eyes. Saying it now was one thing but seeing it and still feeling that way was entirely another. Her words made his heart swell. She loved his beast just as much as she loved his civilized side. And both sides of him loved her with their entire being. Not even most demon couples could honestly say that. But that could not keep the fear of her rejection away.

"No, Sesshoumaru. I could never think less of you."

"Then you may accompany me if you wish."

"Good. I need to brush my hair and get things ready for when Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi get here. Come on," she said while motioning for him to follow. He picked up the wooden board that held his meal and followed her up the stairs. "What are you planning on doing while we're studying?"

He hadn't thought much about it. He had things he needed to speak with her mother and grandfather about… important things. He still wasn't sure how to ask. It was so unlike him to fear something so greatly. He didn't even know why he worried. If she was truly destined for him then there should be no problem and they would immediately approve. He knew she was made for him but he couldn't get rid of that little worry that had wiggled its way into his mind. What would happen if they denied his request? Would Kagome follow their wishes? Shoving the insecurities away he entered her room, closing the door behind him. "Do you require privacy? If you wish for this Sesshoumaru to be elsewhere I will understand. What would you prefer?"

"Do you want to sit on the bed or at the desk or…?" she trailed off as he sat against her door, one knee raised and his other leg stretched out in front of him, the cutting board resting on his upper thigh. "It doesn't matter to me whether you're in here or not, though they may find you a distraction."

"Then this Sesshoumaru will remain if you do not mind."

"Fine with me. I don't like it when you're not close enough to touch."

He smirked at her while slicing the slabs of meat into thin strips with a claw. "My sentiments exactly." He watched her as she brushed her beautiful midnight black hair, the sunlight reflecting and creating the illusion of blue streaks. She pulled out a small band and put her hair up in a high ponytail to keep it out of her eyes while she studied. She wasn't making an obvious effort not to look at him but she also wasn't staring either. She'd glance at him and smile every now and then as she shifted her papers and books around, getting everything ready for the arrival of her friends. He figured it was now or never and lifted a strip of beef to his mouth, taking a bite, his sharp incisors and canines tearing the raw flesh easily.

Kagome sat on the edge of the bed and removed her shoes. They were too difficult to slip off as she entered the house and had forgotten about them as she put away their purchases. She replaced them in her closet, on the way seeing him watching her intently with a strip of red meat between his fingers, frozen on the way to his mouth. Shaking her head gently she crouched at his feet, looking him right in the eyes. "Let's just get this over with so you can relax and believe me when I say this doesn't bother me. Go on. Eat it."

He hesitated for a moment before taking another bite of the strip he held, watching her eyes carefully for any signs of disgust, the discovery of which would have broken his heart. He saw no change as she stayed silent, merely watching him eat. He finished the piece he held and then went for broke, picking up a section of lamb by the protruding bone and taking a bite in a similar fashion as one would bite into a leg of fried chicken. Still she showed no signs of discomfort.

"Believe me now?" She watched his eyes, seeing the relief in them clearly. "Good. So, do you want me to take of your shoes and socks since we're at home? You'd probably be more comfortable." He nodded at her and she immediately started untying the laces before slipping the odd futuristic shoes from his feet then removing his socks as well. He took another bite and tensed as he felt a bit of blood roll from his lips towards his chin. "You missed some." She leaned forward and used her thumb to wipe up the small mess before holding it in front of his lips. Still keeping his eyes on her he pulled her thumb into his mouth, using his tongue to clean her digit of all traces of blood. When he released her thumb she smiled and rose, tossing his socks in the hamper and placing his shoes in the bottom of the closet next to her own.

"This really does not bother you," he stated, though it sounded more like a surprised declaration or a question.

"Why should it bother me? You need to eat. That's what you prefer to eat. I certainly am not going to expect you to go hungry or hide in the forest while you eat. I love you. This is just another part of you."

He looked up at her in wonder. "You really are an amazing woman. Every single day you surprise me with something wonderful and new."

She blushed at his words and turned away, glancing out the window to the courtyard below. "You might want to hurry a bit. They're coming up the stairs. If you move away from the door I can go down and stall them for a few minutes. Just shove the board under the bed, okay?" He nodded as he stood, setting the cutting board on her dresser and picking up another slice. The red meat was half-way in his mouth when she leaned up and kissed his cheek before walking out the door and closing it behind her once more. He could hear her walking down the steps and going out the front door to greet her friends. In just a few minutes he was finished and slipped the board far enough under her bed that it wouldn't be seen unless someone was sitting on the floor and looking.

Glancing around the room he noticed mokomoko still lying on her bed, though it was now on top of the blankets as the bed had been made, by her mother from the residual scent in the room. He really didn't like leaving it here while they left the grounds but there wasn't much choice. Though he'd seen a wide variety of clothes today during their outing he'd not seen anything even remotely similar to how he or Kagome would look draped in ivory fur. _'If only it wasn't quite so large._' When that thought entered his mind he nearly slapped himself. He could make mokomoko longer, so why couldn't he make it smaller? He hadn't even considered the option as he'd never before seen cause to do so. Wouldn't she be surprised when she saw a miniature mokomoko? He decided he would worry about it later when he heard them enter the house. He situated himself comfortably on her bed with a book, opening it randomly so it would appear that he was not merely waiting for them.

Kagome had kept them outside for as long as she could before she could come up with no more excuses. Instead she led them into the kitchen to grab some drinks and snacks before finally heading up the stairs. She only hoped that she'd given him enough time. As she approached the door she asked him silently if he was ready for them to come in. When he answered positively she opened the door and smirked at the sight of him sitting on her bed with a book in his lap 'reading'. He looked up as they entered, finding it difficult not to laugh at the pleasantly surprised smiles on the faces of Kagome's friends. Apparently they were not at all bothered by his presence. "Alright, so we're gonna go over government first and then review science some more, right?" the other girls nodded, all still standing as if unsure whether they could sit on the bed with him or not. Kagome knew exactly what they were thinking from watching their eyes, flicking back and forth from her demon lord and her self. Setting her drink and snack of choice on the floor beside the bed she hopped onto the mattress and sat beside Sesshoumaru at the head of the bed, her government book and notes spread before her. "Well, are you guys gonna stand there all day and stare at Sesshoumaru or are you gonna sit down?" Kagome laughed as they all blushed. "I know he's hard to keep your eyes off of but finals start day after tomorrow," she said in a playful tone.

"We weren't… I mean I wasn't sure… Really, I didn't mean to…" all three girls stuttered out their excuses before piling onto the bed, sitting side by side along the footboard.

He couldn't help himself. It was just too funny. "If you find this Sesshoumaru so distracting perhaps I should leave you girls to study?" he asked in his low sexy voice. Immediately they were sputtering in an attempt to have him stay. 'Apparently you were correct in your assumption that this Sesshoumaru would serve as a distraction if present.'

'Yeah well that doesn't mean you need to leave. They'll calm down in a minute. I don't think they've ever seen someone quite so sexy as you up close.' She watched as he smirked at her words, the movement of his lips causing three unintentional gasps at the beauty his face held when he smiled, even if it was a devious smirk. They didn't know the difference.

"We're sorry, really we are. We're just curious about you. Kagome's never mentioned you before yesterday," Eri offered as an excuse for their behavior.

"Would it make things easier if you asked your questions of me now so that you may concentrate later?"

Kagome looked over at him. 'Are you sure you want to let them ask you questions? What if you don't know how to answer?'

'Then you will tell me. I did hear every word of your discussion yesterday afternoon so I will not contradict your previous statements.'

'I knew you heard. You weren't ever gonna tell me that were you?'

'Only if the need arose.'

Kagome looked at her very excited friends who were giving her their best puppy dog eyes, though Kagome had certainly seen better, and on real inus no less. "It's fine with me. Go ahead," she paused and all three mouths opened to speak at once. "**but**… not like yesterday. One at a time."

The three girls looked back and forth amongst each other in an attempt to silently decide who would go first. Apparently Yuka was given the honor. "What are your intentions with our Kagome?" she asked, politely but with an undertone that demanded an answer. Kagome gaped at her friend in surprise, unable to believe that she'd really just asked that.

Sesshoumaru was unfazed. Well, besides the fact that yet another person was referring to Kagome as theirs he was unfazed. Really, where did all these people get the idea that Kagome was theirs? He turned and looked at the young woman in question before looking Yuka directly in the eyes. "I am in love with **my** Kagome," he paused for a moment, making sure he was going to use the right words. "And I intend to make her my wife in the future, when she has finished school and is ready for such a commitment." He could feel Kagome's embarrassment and looked over at her once more, seeing the blush creep into her cheeks. All three girls at the other end of the bed let out an 'Awwww' at his romantic statement.

"Kagome? Are you gonna marry him?" Eri asked excitedly, as if he wasn't sitting right there. Kagome blushed harder but nodded her head, causing a real smile to creep across the demon lord's face. Neither was quite ready for the eruption of excited squeals, both wincing as the high pitched sound left their ears ringing.

"So what's with the tattoos? Kagome said they were a family thing. Did they hurt?" Ayumi asked in a shy voice.

"They are a symbol of my ancestry. My father bore these marks before me and my younger brother will have them as well."

"Yeah, when we saw him he didn't have any marks," Yuka interrupted.

"He was not yet ready. And no, they did not hurt."

Kagome winced internally. 'Sesshoumaru, tattoos hurt, or at least sting!'

Immediately rectifying his error he added, "…though it was not a comfortable experience either."

"Where are you from? How come we've never seen you around before and have only seen Inuyasha like twice?"

Sesshoumaru waited for Kagome to come up with something, and she did not let him down. 'Say you've been away at boarding school, Inuyasha too, and that you rarely have time to visit.'

"Both my younger brother and I have been away at…" he paused for a second at the unfamiliar word, "…boarding school. Very rarely do we have time to visit, especially since we have no family remaining. Kagome and her family are the only people we have to visit."

"But Kagome said you were nineteen! Shouldn't you be done with school?"

Once again Kagome had an explanation for him. "The school offers advanced classes in business that I enrolled in to remain close to my little brother." Once again there was a chorus of 'Awww'.

"Doesn't it bother you that Kagome had feelings for your brother first?" Both Eri and Ayumi smacked Yuka's arms for asking such a question.

"While I never understood her patience with him, her friendship and support has helped Inuyasha in so many ways that I would never wish it otherwise. It took me a while to admit my feelings for her to myself let alone to Kagome. Emotions do not come easily to either my brother or my self and neither of us really knew how to deal with them. Her love for him is the love of a brother and I would never want to break that bond. Her love for him in no way detracts from her love for me so no; it does not bother me a bit. Instead it pleases me that she is loved by my family as well as by me." Kagome was near tears when he finally stopped talking, and he dragged her into his lap, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead.

Silence filled the room for a while before everyone decided Q & A time was over, mostly thanks to Yuka's insensitive inquiry. They girls began their reviewing, Kagome never leaving Sesshoumaru's lap. He sat in silence, his arms wrapped around her waist and his head leaned back against the wall, thinking. He needed to find a way to ask her mother and grandfather for their permission to court her. He wasn't sure how much longer he could go on without beginning the courting steps, without her bearing his courting mark which would keep her off limits to any other demon, making clear to all that she was his intended mate. He also had another thing he wished to speak with her mother about, something that Kagome was not to hear. After a while he decided that now would be an excellent time to speak with them both as Kagome would be distracted and less likely to overhear their conversation. He sat for a while longer, running through his head just what he wished to say, hoping that if he already knew what words to speak it would be easier and he would at the very least appear less nervous. Once he decided that repeating the same thing over and over in his mind would do him no more good he whispered in her ear that he was going to go downstairs for a while.

Kagome nodded and slid off his lap to sit in front of him so that once he'd moved off the bed she could scoot back and sit where he had been. When the door closed with him on the other side she found herself feeling incredibly lonely. She felt something move against her and immediately realized it was mokomoko. Knowing that it would probably keep moving to wrap around her as it usually did if she didn't do something, she picked it up, looping it over her shoulders and snuggling into the soft fur. She felt it tighten minutely in response and she let out a silent sigh of relief once she was sure her friends hadn't noticed its independent movements. She no longer felt quite so alone as the youki filled item surrounded her with the very essence of Sesshoumaru. She noticed her friends' odd looks when they caught sight of her rubbing her cheek along the white boa but merely shrugged. "I was cold," she lied easily, not bothering to explain where in the hell she'd gotten a giant white fur boa. The other girls just cast confused looks amongst themselves for a moment before moving on, focusing back on the task at hand; making sure Kagome passed the final exams.

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Inuyasha was waiting for Kaede to arrive. Once she did he was planning on visiting Kagome's time to pick up some essentials necessary to complete their battle plan. He was hoping to speak to Kagome's mother without either Kagome or Sesshoumaru noticing his presence, though he had to admit to himself that it was unlikely. He was prepared for this as well, having decided just what he would tell them if they saw him there. He was pretty sure they would buy it, and he was certain that Hiromi would happily give him what he needed, even if he told her the truth behind his requests. He'd discovered long ago that the older Higurashi woman had a sense of humor and he guessed she wouldn't be against some fun, especially since she could watch if she wanted through that gazing crystal thing Kagome'd explained to them.

He knew Miroku and Sango were suspicious and that he was going to have to fill them in. He only hoped they wouldn't try to stop them. The wolf had been just as irritating to them as he had to Inuyasha and especially Kagome so he suspected they wouldn't object. Sesshoumaru and Kagome, on the other hand, would most certainly object. Though their reasons might be different he was sure their reaction would be the same. But once it was over and done the hanyou had a feeling they would both wish to have seen the end result of some of their planned pranks, which was why he intended to ask Hiromi for the digital camera Kagome had brought with her once before. She'd shown him and Miroku how to use it well enough, and the only thing better than torturing the ever annoying wolf prince was having pictures to prove it… pictures that he could get as many copies of as he wanted… pictures that would last for years and years, even five hundred years if he left prints in the future as well. Kouga would never be able to deny just how good they got him and never be able to forget it either, if the devious hanyou had anything to do with it.

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Author's Notes:

From now on Reviewer Responses will be posted at my livejournal. I'm going to do it this way because it will keep the chapters neater and keep a more accurate page and word count. I'm also going to put them in alphabetical order by your user names so that it is easier for everyone to find their response. Today's may not go up right away cuz we're getting ready for our Christmas party with the family tomorrow. I wanted to get the chapter up so I'm posting before I get a chance to write them.

The link is in my profile and also below, but you have to remove the spaces.

http :// sunsetmiko . livejournal . com/


	64. Lousy Timing

**Merry Christmas to you all! I hope you enjoy what Santa brought!**

**Chapter 64 – Lousy Timing**

Sesshoumaru walked down the stairs and was heading towards the kitchen when Souta called his name in a whisper. The demon turned to look at the small boy, curious as to what he wanted. Souta motioned for him to follow and they walked outside and a short bit away from the house before Souta stopped and turned, tilting his head back so that he could see his face. "Sesshoumaru? There's something I want to ask you," the little boy said confidently.

Sesshoumaru was surprised. What in the world could his little miko's little brother want to ask him? He nodded, signaling the boy to ask his question.

"What are your intentions with my sister?"

The demon's eyes widened minutely. The same question in not more than half an hour… what were the chances? "Why do you ask, Souta?"

"Because Inuyasha hurt her because he didn't feel the same way about her as she did about him. I won't let his brother hurt her too."

The taiyoukai narrowed his eyes. The boy was not being completely honest with him. "I have no intention of hurting your sister. I love her." He crouched down so he was eye level with the youngest Higurashi. "You are aware of my desire to make her my mate. I intend to ask your mother and grandfather for permission to court her."

"When?" the child asked as if he hadn't cared about or listened to the response to his last question.

"Why do you wish to know?"

"Cuz, putting it off isn't going to make it any easier. Besides, you have no reason to worry. Mama already considers you Kagome's 'mate'. She called you her son-in-law, didn't she? And she called your kids her grandchildren? She has no intention of saying no. I think she's been trying to tell you that, without actually saying it. And Gramps? Don't worry about him. He might act like he distrusts demons but he doesn't really. How could he when he allows her to run around feudal Japan with Inuyasha? He might give you a hard time at first, but he's just playing."

"How can you be certain of such? And why are you telling me this?"

"I'm sure cuz I know my family. And I'm tell' ya so you go ahead and do it already. My dad isn't alive to ask, but I think he would approve of you. You make her happy, which is all that matters to any of us. I know Kagome loves you. You're strong and powerful, so you can protect her and take good care of her. No one thinks I understand, but I do. She's not meant to stay here with us. Kagome belongs in the feudal era with her friends and with all your kids and with you. She's needed there, and ever since she got pulled through the well the first time she's never really felt at home here."

"Souta… you are very wise for your age, and this Sesshoumaru thanks you for your advice and for your acceptance. I promise you that I will do anything and everything in my power to ensure that your sister is happy, healthy, and safe for the rest of our lives." The demon lord didn't know that the boy was unaware of the prophecy and of his father's true location, but when Souta said his father was dead; Sesshoumaru knew to keep his mouth shut. He was certain there was a reason the boy was as of yet unaware that his father still lived. The boy's words had calmed his worries more than he'd ever imagined possible. Having the blessings of this boy who meant so much to his Kagome meant a lot to the inu youkai. And if he was convinced that they would not deny him, then Sesshoumaru would trust his judgment.

By the time he escaped his thoughts and looked around, he found that the boy was already gone. Drawing upon the courage the little boy's words had given him, Sesshoumaru rose to his feet and reentered the house, seeing Hiromi and Kagome's grandfather both sitting at the table sipping tea. It looked like they were waiting for him. There was even a third cup set out and waiting to be filled.

"If it would be possible, this Sesshoumaru would like to speak with you both." Gramp's nodded and Hiromi gestured for him to take a seat, pouring tea into the cup meant for him. However they'd known he was coming to speak with them he would never know but it didn't matter. What mattered was that he was sitting across the table from them, finally ready to ask for their permission to court his sweet Kagome, the one and only love of his near immortal life. "It is regarding Kagome, that which I must speak with you about. I am not sure if you are each aware or not that I have found myself incredibly attached to her. I have been fighting my true feelings for her for quite some time, only recently being open and honest with both her and my self. I come to you in order to ask for your permission to…" Sesshoumaru's words stuck in his throat as he felt it. Within mere seconds he jumped to his feet and was out the kitchen door, leaving the two humans behind.

"Pity. He was so close, too," Hiromi said softly.

Gramps began to chuckle out loud, unable to hold it in. "He just can't catch a break!" Hiromi joined him and together they laughed about the demon lord's rotten luck and the inappropriate timing of another.

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After Sesshoumaru left the room they focused on their studies for a while before deciding they needed a break. They moved their materials out of the way and replaced them with their snacks, chatting and laughing together as they shared recent events in their lives. When it was Kagome's turn to share something interesting she wasn't sure what she could tell. She couldn't tell them about anything that happened in the feudal era and she'd already told them all she could about Sesshoumaru. The only thing she could tell them about was her morning shopping, though even then she couldn't tell them what she bought or why. Then she thought of something, the perfect thing to chat with her school friends about.

"This morning Sesshoumaru and I were doing some shopping and you will not believe who I had the pleasure of running in to."

"Who was it?" Eri asked, already totally intrigued. Teenage girls are just so easy.

"Momoko," she stated, pausing for dramatic effect and getting the desired responses from her friends. "First she basically demands to know why I was in a children's clothing store, which was absolutely none of her business. Then she has the nerve to ask me if she was right all along."

"No. No way! She still hasn't given that up?" Yuka exclaimed loudly, making them all jump in surprise.

"I thought she had. We haven't heard it in school for a long time now. Over a year, even," Ayumi offered.

"Apparently she's never going to give it up. Anyway, so Sesshoumaru walks up beside me since he'd been looking at something else when she came up to me. He told her I was shopping for clothes for his younger siblings. I hadn't known what to say, especially since I knew it didn't matter what I said. In her mind she'd hear whatever she wanted to hear."

"Sesshoumaru has little brothers and sisters?"

Kagome had already figured out what her excuse for being in that store was by now. "One of Mama's friends is having a baby and Mama asked me to go pick up a gift for the baby shower since she was too busy."

"Ohhh," they all said in unison.

"So when she sees him she immediately starts to flirt with him, like I don't even exist or like there's absolutely no chance that he could be more than a friend. She asks him why he would ask me, basically saying I have no fashion sense. Then she offered to help him pick out the things instead, saying that her siblings were much younger than Souta and I quote 'Unless of course there's a little Higurashi that she's hiding from the world'. Can you believe the nerve of her?"

"She's always been such a bitch!"

"Yeah, but I don't understand why she's always so focused on you, Kagome. Did you get into a fight with her or something? Anything that would explain why she is always lying and spreading rumors about you?"

"I have no idea. I never got in a fight with her. We were even friendly before I started to get sick. I don't know why she's so against me, why she tries so hard to humiliate me. But today she got humiliated instead. You should have seen what she had on. Micro-mini, neon pink, black handkerchief style top that was ready to explode, serious whore stilettos, and more makeup than I've ever seen on one person before."

"I can't believe she dresses like that!"

"And she wonders why no one respects her."

"She looks like she doesn't even respect herself. And she can't keep a boyfriend. She sleeps with them and then they're gone."

"And she was flirting with Sesshoumaru like she was going to steal him from me or something. This is the best part. Sesshoumaru answered her. He said 'Why would I ask Kagome to assist me? Because she is my girlfriend and I trust **her** opinion'," Kagome quoted in her best Sesshoumaru voice. "If I wished for my little sister to join your profession then I would definitely ask for your help, as you are obviously an expert in the field.' She got this confused look on her face. She had no idea what he meant. She actually asked what profession!"

"Oh my Kami! Oh, she was just asking for it!"

"Begging for it more likely."

"So what did he say next?"

"He said that her clothes and behavior had led him to believe she was a whore. Then, as polite as can be, he asked if he was mistaken! She got so mad she tried to slap him but he caught her wrist before her hand could reach his face. When she tried to pull her arm back he wouldn't let go right away. He made her apologize to me. And then, while she was still tugging at her wrist he let her go and she fell backwards. Landed right on her ass! It was hilarious!" Laughter filled the room as the girls continued chatting, having fun filling Kagome in on all the hot gossip she'd missed lately. When the snacks were gone and they had all regained their composure, they went back to their studies, moving on to science.

Kagome was in the middle of a question when she froze, leaving a word half spoken, as she felt it. She decided after a moment that since Sesshoumaru was down there he could handle it, unless it was important and then he would call for her or come get her. Shaking her head while trying to remember what she'd been saying, Kagome ignored the questions of her friends as to her well-being and tried to focus on her studies instead. Though she found it difficult, after a few minutes she managed to distract herself with her work and cease her worries, at least for the moment.

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Inuyasha was getting impatient. Kazue had left to retrieve the village miko over half an hour ago! Why hadn't they arrived yet? Just when he was about to get up and find out for himself what the delay was he heard the excited screech of a little girl, the signal that the miko had been spotted. "About damn time," he mumbled under his breath.

"Why so impatient Inuyasha? Are you enjoying your miko training that much?" Miroku asked with a grin. He knew something was up and he couldn't pass up the opportunity to poke and prod the hanyou in an attempt to get him to blurt out the truth, a method that had in the past proven quite effective.

"When the old hag gets here I'm going to Kagome's time. There are some things I need to get."

"We aren't even close to being out of ramen, Inuyasha," Sango said suspiciously.

"I ain't after ramen."

"Then what is it that you need to retrieve from Kagome's time?" Miroku asked slowly, making his voice sound as innocently curious as possible.

"None of your fuckin' business, damn nosey monk! I'm just gonna go, get what I need, and come back. I figure it'll be safer for you and the kids if Kaede's here too."

"Lord Sesshoumaru will not be at all pleased that you left his pups under the care of these humans when he told you specifically that you were to keep them safe," Jaken said, unable to keep from sticking his little green beak into the conversation.

"That's why you're here, you annoying little shit. And I don't need you to tell me what my own fuckin' brother is gonna do or say! Just mind your fuckin' business!"

Jaken immediately began backing away, tripping over one of the many bags of supplies in the clearing and falling flat on his back. "Oh, look at all the pretty little flies," he said in a dazed voice as he watched imagined flies circling his head, which was sporting a nice big new lump on the back where his head had collided with the ground.

Inuyasha laughed at the poor clumsy toad. "At least that'll shut him up for a bit." The hanyou turned to look at his friends, his tone serious. "Look, I'll explain later, but as soon as Kaede gets here I'm going. I shouldn't be long. They can start without me if they want."

"Alright, Inuyasha," Sango answered, fairly surprised by just how mature and serious the hanyou had just sounded. Miroku merely nodded his agreement, unsure as to whether they needed to be worried or not.

Just then Kazue entered the clearing with Kaede on her back. As soon as Inuyasha spotted her he jumped to his feet. "I'll be back," he called out before disappearing into the treetops. He made it to the well in less than a minute, looking around carefully and extending his senses to make sure there was no one around to see before he leapt into the portal between his world and Kagome's.

As soon as his feet touched the ground inside the well, the inu hanyou leapt out. He had just started to slide the doors open when they were roughly opened from the other side. "What happened? Are the children safe? Are you under attack? Was there an urgent message?"

Inuyasha couldn't say anything for a moment, surprised by Sesshoumaru's outburst. The demon lord became impatient and grabbed both the hanyou's shoulders, shaking him roughly in an attempt to bring him to his senses. "Fuck, Sesshoumaru! Stop! Everything's fine."

Sesshoumaru growled dangerously. "If there is no problem then why are you here instead of protecting the children?" _'And why did you have to choose that moment to come through the well? I was just about to ask!'_

"I came to get a couple things. Wait, what the fuck?!" He'd just noticed the difference in his elder brother. "How in the fuck did you get your arm back? And you don't look half bad in clothes from this time."

Sesshoumaru chuckled, allowing himself to relax. "Kagome seems to approve of this Sesshoumaru's appearance in such apparel as well. And my arm… my little miko was so kind as to return it to me. It was her gift, just as she gave you the gift of your full powers."

"Was it like mine? Did you see someone?"

"No. We were surrounded by a whirlwind and we heard a voice but it did not sound familiar. Kagome was drawn to a box with another crystal in it. The box was hidden under the floorboards in here."

"So there was another heart crystal?" Inuyasha asked, thoroughly intrigued.

"Yes, though this one was green, the same color as my poison and youki."

"So, you put it to good use yet?" the younger brother asked with a hentai smirk.

"You, little brother, are spending too much time with the monk. Though if you are truly curious then yes, I definitely have and I have plans to do so again soon." He chuckled again as Inuyasha's face flushed red. "You were the one who asked."

"Yeah, remind me not to do that again. I don't need to be picturing you like that. Creepy. Where's Kagome anyway?"

"She is in her room with her friends studying. What is it you need?"

"I wanna get some of Kagome's clothes that haven't been washed. Her scent is fading off the bedding already from so many of us sleeping on it and I don't think they'll be able to fall asleep without her scent. Don't worry about it. I'll ask Hiromi. What are you doing while she's up there?"

Sesshoumaru scowled at his younger brother. "I was in the middle of asking their permission to court her when you arrived. You always have had the worst timing." With that said, the demon lord turned and headed towards the house, Inuyasha sliding the well house doors closed before following.

"Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. If I'd known…"

"There is nothing that can be done about it so there is no need to worry over it. I will merely have to speak with them again. I am going upstairs to assure Kagome that you merely came for supplies, that there is no problem." When they entered the kitchen door, they turned in opposite directions, the taiyoukai heading up the stairs and Inuyasha following his nose to Hiromi.

When he found her he smirked. She already had a pile of ramen on the counter. Even though that wasn't what he came for, you could never have too much ramen and it made him feel special, that she cared about him enough to have already started gathering things. "Hey, I have a favor to ask you."

Hiromi smiled at him, a bright, truly happy smile that reminded him so much of Kagome. Though he'd intended to leave as soon as he got what he needed, he decided he needed to see her, even if just for a few minutes. "Sure, Inuyasha honey. What do you need?"

"Well, you know about Kouga, right? Almost as soon as Kagome and Sesshoumaru left he showed up with a small pack, announcing that he was going to travel with Kagome to ensure her safety, the bastard. Saying I can't protect her. He still thinks Kagome's his woman, and it really bugged the boys. We've got some things planned for the wolf since he decided he would camp nearby and wait for Kagome to come back, just some harmless tricks, well, semi-harmless. The wolf is gonna wish he'd turned around and gone home. Those boys surprise me with all the things they thought of."

Hiromi laughed lightly. "And am I correct in assuming that you do not want Kagome and Sesshoumaru to know about your pranks?"

"Not until they're over. I know they'll wish they could have seen it when we tell them, which was why I was hoping you'd let me borrow that 'camera' Kagome brought before. The one that can take a lot of pictures and you can see the picture on the back."

"Of course my dear. I'll give you some extra batteries too. Have you seen Kagome replace the batteries before?" He nodded. "Alright then. What else do you want?"

"Shippo's gonna transform into Kagome but for it to really work we need some of her clothes, something that she's worn that you haven't washed yet, so he'll have her scent. We'll also need…" The two talked in whispers in the kitchen for a while as Inuyasha told her their ideas and Hiromi was so kind as to tell him about some classic pranks from her time that she had the supplies for as well. It was hard for Inuyasha not to laugh aloud at the older Higurashi female's ideas. She was just as evil as the boys when it came to ideas for pranking the unsuspecting wolves. While she shared her ideas she made him a couple cups of ramen for him to eat while she gathered everything.

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Sesshoumaru could feel the nervous tension in Kagome as he climbed the stairs. He opened the bedroom door slowly and silently, only Kagome looking up. Her eyes were filled with worry and he immediately set out to calm her fears. 'Nothing is wrong, Kagome. He merely came to retrieve some supplies.'

'So everything's fine? Thank Kami!' After a second she asked, 'What could he possibly need?'

'Your residual scent is fading from the bedding and the children will not be able to sleep without your scent present. He needs some of your clothing that you have worn but not washed.'

"Kagome? Kagome, are you alright?" Ayumi asked, worried that her friend didn't seem to be able to hear her.

'Your friend is calling you.'

"What? Huh? Sorry, I was just thinking. I need to take my laundry downstairs. I forgot Mama asked me to earlier." Kagome stood, mokomoko still clinging snuggly to her body, and grabbed her basket, walking out the door and down the stairs without another word.

While Kagome was talking the girls noticed the presence of Sesshoumaru. Once she'd left the room they practically pounced on him, each asking questions and dragging him to sit on the bed so he couldn't escape them.

"So you really do love Kagome?"

"Where is your family from, to have your hair and eyes?"

"Do you work out?"

"Oh, I bet you lift weights everyday!"

"He looks like he could pick me up with his pinkie!"

"Isn't it hard to have a long distance relationship?"

"And she's sick so often, too. How do you spend any time together?"

"How long did you like her before you finally told her?"

"Oh, tell us about your first date!"

"Yeah! Where did you go? What did you do?"

"And your first kiss too!"

"You wouldn't have any friends our age would you?"

"Oh, if only I had a boyfriend like you. The boys at school are so immature."

"And no one at school looks even close to as hot as you do!"

"Oh, Kagome should totally bring you to the party Friday night!"

"Oh Kami, you're right! Everyone will be so jealous!"

Sesshoumaru decided to ignore most of their questions and statements. Half of them he had no idea how to answer anyway and he found it rather disturbing how curious these girls were. Was this normal? Did girls Kagome's age always share such things? Was this a future thing or did human girls in his time act so foolishly? He was interested, though, at the mention of a party. Though she tried to hide it, he knew Kagome missed just being an ordinary girl every now and then.

"Tell me of this party you mentioned," he ordered, though they didn't notice the authority in his tone.

"There gonna be a huge party Friday night. The whole school is invited. It's to celebrate the end of exams and the school year. Everyone will be there! It's gonna be the party of the year and Kagome just can't miss it! She should bring you along, show you off. It'll be so much fun!" Yuki informed him.

"Does she know of this party?"

"I don't think so. We hadn't thought about it to tell her. She's missed so many parties the last two years because she's been so sick. It would be great for her to be able to make it since she seems to be feeling better," Eri answered.

"I will discuss it with her, see if she would like to go," Sesshoumaru said with a small smirk. He wanted her to enjoy her time here as much as possible since it would be a while before she was home again, at least for such a long period of time. She would most likely only be returning for supplies. All three girls launched into their own discussion on what they would wear, who they couldn't wait to see, and how much fun they would have. Noticing that they'd apparently forgotten his presence he stood and walked slowly to the door, almost praying that he didn't attract their attention. He held in his sigh until he was in the hall with the door closed behind him, then leapt down the stairs in one jump, elegantly of course.

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Inuyasha's nose twitched as he detected the scent of Kagome approaching. Looking up from slurping his ramen he smiled, seeing her wrapped in his brother's fur and looking quite comfortable. He hopped up and took the laundry basket from her hands, carrying it into the laundry room where he knew her mother was. When he came back into the kitchen he pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her hair and breathing her in. He hadn't realized just how much he missed her until just then, and she'd only been gone for one night. It was odd, how much easier it was for him to show her he cared about her now. Maybe it was their new connection, or maybe it was his understanding of her feelings for him so there was no more confusion as to what exactly their relationship was. He released her reluctantly, not wanting to give her up yet.

Kagome smiled at him once she'd stepped back. "So, what is it you need besides my clothes?"

"Oh, just a couple things for the kids. You're mom's getting everything for me already so you don't have to worry about it."

"Oh, okay… So how are the kids doing? Are you keeping them busy?"

"They're as fine as can be expected since they miss their Mama. They pouted for a while after you left yesterday but Miroku went and got Kaede and that seemed to keep them distracted. Kaede's with them now. I figured they would be safer with her there too while I was gone, just in case. How long are you gonna be here again?"

Kagome smiled wider. "Why? Do you miss me too?"

He looked her straight in the eyes as he answered. "Hell, yes! I can barely sleep without you there. The clothes should help though. I might have to come back again to get more and bring back the others once your scent fades on them too."

"Whatever works. I was gonna come back Saturday morning, but Souta wants me to go to his soccer game Saturday so I'll probably come back on Sunday."

"And today is…?"

"Today's Saturday. So a week and a day more. How's the miko training going?"

"They're doing great. I never imagined they could sit still for so long but they're really determined to learn all they can so they can show you when you get back."

"I wish it didn't bother them so much that I'm gone."

"They'll be fine. Don't worry, Kagome. You just study and enjoy your time home."

"I'm trying to. Oh! I got the kids some surprises this morning. And your brother doesn't whine and complain about wearing shoes like you do! I still think you're just being a big baby about it. What is taking Mama so long?" Kagome wondered aloud. "Maybe I should go help her."

"No! No, I mean, I'm sure she's fine. Where's the kid? I'm surprised he hasn't shown up yet."

"He's plastered to the TV playing video games. He probably doesn't even know you're here. Come on, you should say hi." Kagome held out her hand and Inuyasha took it without hesitation. It was wonderful to have all their questions and uncertainties taken care of so they could just be.

As they walked from the kitchen to the living room Inuyasha had to ask. "So what's with the fur? And in front of your friends?"

"It's comforting. I like it. And I know they want to ask about it but they haven't yet. It's kinda like having him wrapped around me when he isn't around."

"If only the rest of us had something like that of yours. Hey, kid! Don't I at least rate a hello?" Inuyasha said loudly, making Souta jump before turning around, a huge smile on his lips.

"Inuyasha! You're here! Do you wanna play video games with me? I tried to teach Sesshoumaru but I don't think he really got it."

"This Sesshoumaru merely could not find the purpose in it." Kagome turned around and grinned at him. "Have I told you how beautiful you look in my fur?"

"I don't know. Maybe you should, just in case," she teased as he pulled her into his arms.

He lowered his face to her ear, giving it a teasing lick before whispering, "You look absolutely gorgeous wrapped in my fur though I would enjoy it all the more if that was all you had on." He pulled back, speaking in a more normal level while smirking at her blush. "Please, this Sesshoumaru begs you; do not leave me alone with your friends again." Both Inuyasha and Kagome laughed at his obvious distress.

"Is the great Sesshoumaru afraid of a couple of human girls?" Inuyasha asked.

"Oh, it couldn't have been that bad. It was only like five minutes."

"Five minutes this Sesshoumaru will never get back. Do all girls your age act as they do? They ask questions in the same fashion as Rin and your little brother."

"What'd they ask you?" Kagome asked, rather curious.

"Nothing of any importance. They wished to know about our first 'date', whatever that is, as well as out first kiss. They asked if our 'long-distance' relationship was difficult. And they inquired as to whether this Sesshoumaru lifted weights. Why would I lift weights?"

Kagome giggled slightly. "Guys lift weights to work out, develop their muscles, like you would ever need that," she said while tracing muscles on his abdomen through the thin white shirt that clung to them so perfectly. Souta snorted at his sister's comment.

"Hey, what about me?" Inuyasha asked with a wide grin.

"Oh, of course, Inuyasha dear," she started sarcastically. "You have no reason to work out either. Just naturally perfectly defined."

"Why do I get the feeling you don't mean that?" he asked playfully.

"I have no idea, Inuyasha darling."

"They inquired as to whether this Sesshoumaru has any friends their age. Apparently no male that attends your school is as 'hot' as I. And they did bring to my attention a party that you might wish to attend."

"A party?" Kagome watched as Souta handed Inuyasha a controller and restarted the game for two players. "What party?"

"A celebration after your exams, on Friday. Do you wish to go?"

"I don't know. I'll have to ask them more about it. Speaking of them, I should probably get back up there. You coming up or staying down here?"

"This Sesshoumaru will stay downstairs. I am not in a hurry to experience that again."

She gave him a quick kiss before walking over to stand behind Inuyasha who was sitting on the floor in front of the TV. She brushed the edge of a pointed white ear to get his attention, grinning as it twitched. "I'm gonna go upstairs. I'll see you soon, okay? Tell them all I love them."

He tilted his head back, looking up at her with a smile. "Will do. Good luck on your tests." He stayed still as he watched her bend down, surprised when she pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. Then she was gone, racing up the stairs to rejoin her friends. Sesshoumaru sat down on the couch, watching the two as they played. After a short while Hiromi came out with a bag and Inuyasha said his good-byes, promising his brother that he wouldn't tell anyone about his arm. He wanted it to be a surprise. Souta whined for a while, trying to get Inuyasha to stay and play but eventually gave up and restarted his game again, setting it back to one player.

When he arrived in the past he leapt out of the well, sped back to camp, and tossed the bag towards the pile of other supplies before sitting silently with the children in front of Kaede. "What? I'm back. So what did you guys do without me?" Miroku raised a brow and Sango narrowed her eyes but neither spoke. Kaede just smiled before returning to their lesson.

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Sesshoumaru walked into the kitchen, hoping to find Hiromi and her father. She was standing at the kitchen sink, washing dishes. "You ready to talk again, now that Inuyasha's gone?" she asked. He nodded and she leaned out the kitchen door, calling for her father. The old man came through the door a minute later and they all sat around the kitchen table once again, ready to pick up where they left off.


	65. A Question Asked, A Chance Taken

**Chapter 65 – A Question Asked, A Chance Taken**

Sesshoumaru sat across the table from both Kagome's mother and grandfather, mentally cursing Inuyasha for his earlier interruption. He'd be so close to finally getting it out and now he was back to square one. He drew up as much courage and self confidence as he could find inside him before starting. "First, I would like to apologize for leaving as I did earlier. Inuyasha and I had agreed that he would come here if there was an emergency, if they were attacked or if an urgent message was received from the palace. When I sensed him coming through the well I was concerned and wished to know what was wrong. It was incredibly rude of me to leave without an explanation."

Hiromi smiled at him. "That's perfectly alright dear. We understand your concern for the safety of your children."

"I thank you for your understanding. I do not know much about human traditions, especially how they have changed in the five hundred years between my time and your own. I do, however, know demon traditions. There are steps I must follow and it is very important to me to do so properly. I am in love with Kagome, and I would like to make her my mate. This Sesshoumaru humbly asks for your permission to court the Kagome Higurashi, the Shikon Miko."

The room was silent, the only sounds that could be heard were the soft breaths and heartbeats of the two humans and one demon present. Hiromi looked at her father, and he looked back at her. Both of their faces were completely devoid of emotion, impressively so. There was absolutely no way for him to tell what they were thinking or feeling, let alone how they would answer. Immediately his mind was flooded with worries. What if Souta had been wrong? What if they did not approve of their human daughter/granddaughter mating a demon? What would happen if they said no?

Sesshoumaru immediately found it difficult to breath as he sat perfectly still in the oppressive silence, his body tense, his mind whirling, and his beast whimpering in fear. It wasn't supposed to go like this! She was supposed to smile and say 'of course we approve' and perhaps even hug him, which he had already decided he would allow. She would be family, pack, once they were mated. But it wasn't happening that way at all. The two who held his fate in their hands looked from each other to him and back, still no hint of their decision in their eyes. If felt like minutes and then hours had passed in the silence until finally Hiromi took a breath in and opened her mouth to speak.

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Kagura had finally managed to sneak away from the slowly crumbling castle. It had taken forever because the stupid witch had sent her on several more ingredient runs during which Kagura couldn't risk the time of a detour because Naraku had insisted that the bogus shards be finished before sunset. After what seemed like days, but was really merely hours, she'd managed to slip away unnoticed, the witch having declared that she had no further use for her. The wind demoness still had no idea how she was going to warn them without ending up being killed or without Naraku finding out about her betrayal, but that didn't matter. She refused to allow Naraku's nefarious plan to succeed. She found him absolutely repugnant, to desire to control a woman in such a way, to use her to fulfill his own depraved desires. She couldn't let that happen. No one, except the evil hanyou himself, deserved such a thing to happen to them.

She still had several hours of daylight, for which she thanked every Kami she could remember. It might take her a while to find the panthers. It had taken forever the last time and she knew she'd only succeeded because they allowed themselves to be found. She decided to start her search in the same area as she'd spoken with them the day before and if she couldn't find them near there then she would look around their scheduled meeting place. As she flew, scouring the ground below with her eyes, she ran possibilities though her head. If she just came out and told them what Naraku was planning would they blame her? Would they decide not to show for the meeting? Would they get angry and decide to teach Naraku a lesson? She figured she needed to start with an explanation as to why she served the dark hanyou at all. That way she at least had some chance of them listening to her. She hoped that they would be grateful for her warning and that maybe they could form some kind of plan together to take her master out permanently. The knowledge of what he was planning to do to the youngest of them should serve as more than enough of an incentive.

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While Inuyasha was gone Kaede had simply reviewed yesterday's lesson, having them practice their meditation once again. Every lesson would begin as such, as the mind had to be focused and the energy ready before any other thing could be learned. They'd seemed a little more fidgety than they had been the day before, so it took longer for each of them to find their well of power and bring it to the surface to use. Miroku watched with interest as one by one their hands began to glow as they reached their goal. Jaken was still rather dazed, still mumbling to himself about beautiful, tasty flies, how if they would just stay still he would be happy to eat them. Sango was polishing her weapon, not because it needed to be done as she'd just done it days ago and they'd been in no battle. She polished it nearly compulsively as she focused on her thoughts.

Things had changed between her and Miroku when they'd finally confessed their feelings, but now neither one knew how to proceed. They were from friends with secret feelings to a couple in love with no real transition. Sango wasn't sure how to act. She'd never been very good at being feminine to begin with and now she was absolutely lost. If Kagome was there then she'd at least have someone to talk to about it, someone who might have some advice, especially since Kagome and Sesshoumaru's relationship was developing so smoothly. The demon slayer found herself terrified to screw up, afraid she would say the wrong thing or that some action might ruin everything she'd suddenly received. She had a man who loved her, admitted he loved her, and she was petrified to go back to the way things were or worse. If things went sour between them romantically then their friendship would be irreparable. It would hurt the entire group. Feeling so much weight on her shoulders, Sango was basically frozen in place, afraid to move or speak for fear of it being the wrong thing.

Miroku wasn't doing much better but had decided that dwelling on it would do no good. They would figure it all out, he hoped. He was just as afraid of doing or saying the wrong thing as Sango, but he was used to living with the overwhelming fear of his own death, compensating by being playful, by making jokes and being silly. It was his own mask, just as Sesshoumaru projected one image to the world; Miroku did the same, always tucking his fears and worries away. That was why he didn't seem visibly bothered anywhere near the extent Sango did. He was though. He was just as worried, just as confused, and just as terrified. The whole thing was much harder than he'd ever expected and he had no idea how to handle it.

And who could he ask for help? Inuyasha? The hanyou was his best friend, like a brother even, but he had absolutely no idea how to deal with his feelings. He'd never had anything close to a normal, healthy relationship. And Sesshoumaru was gone. Miroku wasn't sure if the demon lord would have been able to help anyway, but at least he was having success in his relationship with Kagome. This seemed to be going well between the two and that was exactly what Miroku wished to have with Sango, for them to be comfortable with each other, to share things, their thoughts and fears and hopes and dreams, and to be a team. Kagome and Sesshoumaru made an excellent team. They were so very different, but their differences complimented each other perfectly. The monk only hoped for something so wonderful for his sweet Sango and himself. He just wanted them both to be happy.

Kirara had asked Sango what was wrong but the slayer just couldn't find a way to explain it. She felt silly for feeling so afraid. Really, he was the same Miroku he was the week before, so why was this so hard? They were friends, partners, in everything, in life and in battle, but now it seemed altogether far too complicated. After several attempts to sooth her friend's fears Kirara gave up and retreated to lay beside Kazue where she slept between the two sleeping heads of Ah Un.

When Inuyasha returned and tossed his bag of supplies to the side before plopping down next to the children both Miroku and Sango were suspicious. Whatever he was up to, they both decided, he'd better spill the truth soon or they might just have to force it out of him. They both could use a distraction anyway, and torturing Inuyasha until he talks would be a good one.

Miko lessons continued, with the addition of one hanyou, and they worked on their barriers for a while longer, Kaede explaining the different types, attributes, and uses. Then she attempted to teach them to charge an item with their power, each student selecting a random item. Akihiro could do it immediately, but that was only because he'd been practicing earlier to use it against the wolves. Rin's success immediately followed. The others had more difficulty though and eventually it was decided that they would resume their attempts the next afternoon. Kazue was awoken and carried the elder miko safely back to her hut.

As soon as she was gone the hanyou found him self pounced upon by children demanding to know how Kagome was as well as if he had gotten the desired items. His eyes immediately flew to his friends who were looking at him expectantly. He told the children that Kagome was fine and sent her love and that they would discuss everything else later. Once he was released by the last pair of little hands Inuyasha made his way over to sit between Miroku and Sango. It was time to come clean and hope they would want to help rather than try to stop them. After the things Hiromi had told him and given him he refused to give in. The wolf would wish he'd never laid eyes on Kagome once they were finished with him. It was guaranteed to be a lot of fun and it would only be made better with the assistance of his friends. Miroku was the king of underhanded, knew all kinds of sneaky things, and Sango, with her extensive knowledge of demons and demon slaying, there was certain to be interesting things they could use to their advantage.

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She'd made up her mind. Kagome would pay for embarrassing her like that. Momoko had been wracking her brain in an attempt to come up with just the perfect thing. She had to find just the right thing. Sure, she'd apologized and said she wouldn't do it again but that didn't matter. It wasn't like they could do anything to her. No, Kagome would most definitely regret making her fall in public. Her ass still hurt! She was sure there was a secret Kagome was keeping but she had no idea what it was. She wasn't stupid. She never really thought that Kagome was pregnant. She'd just gotten tired of listening to everyone talking about how worried they were for her health, how much they missed her in class, how sweet she was. They just wouldn't shut up about the little bitch and it wasn't fair.

When she'd been home sick for a whole month with mono no one had visited. No one called. No one brought her assignments or took notes for her. No one brought her gifts to help her get well. It was like she'd disappeared and not a single person noticed and it just wasn't fair! Why did everyone like Kagome so much more than her? She was much prettier than the sickly little thing. Boys loved her. They were always asking her out, taking her to the movies or to dinner. She didn't see anyone lining up to date Kagome. Just that loser Hojo. Momoko had thought Hojo was cute once, and sweet and kind too, but the twit was more interested in worshipping Kagome, of showering her with gifts, always concerned, always asking her out. He'd never given up. He still trailed along after her like a lovesick puppy. Anyone else would have learned by now that Kagome wasn't interested in him. Obviously, since she had a boyfriend.

And how the hell did Kagome get a guy like that anyway? He was absolutely perfect; tall, muscular, long beautiful hair that she was certain had to feel like silk, exotic coloring, he had everything. Momoko was sure that he had to have a great package too, if the size of the rest of him was any indicator and it usually was. She'd seen enough to see the correlation. Sure, it wasn't accurate 100 of the time by more than likely big tall muscular men were gifted by the Kamis in more ways than one. What she wouldn't give to get that awesome specimen of maleness in her bed. Oh, and that would just break little Kagome's heart too, a two for one! Even more determined now, Momoko set about trying to find a way to tarnish Kagome's perfect little reputation permanently while stealing her boyfriend at the same time. Maybe she could get him to believe Kagome cheated on him. Then she would be waiting with open arms to kiss it all away. But she'd need an accomplice. She needed a boy to confirm her story, to add credibility since she'd lost most of hers with her last Kagome rumor. But who would be willing to help her? She smirked darkly. Almost any boy would be willing to help her for the right price and she didn't mind paying. She'd slept with most of them already anyway. Now to pick on that had been at least halfway decent in bed. Why should she suffer a bad lay when she could get a good one?

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They watched as the oversized white feather flew over their heads once more, still not finding them of course. They couldn't be found unless they allowed it. When in the shadows they were the shadows, completely invisible to even the best trained eyes. They'd been discussing whether to speak with her again or not. Was Naraku planning on breaking their meeting? They refused to allow such a treacherous creature to choose the place and time. That would only ensure they were walking into a trap. No, he would walk into theirs. They would not be bested by a disgusting hanyou. Naraku was worse than a hanyou really, having once been a human that sold his body and soul to demons for his own gain. His kind was looked down upon as lower than those born hanyous, more than even humans. He was nothing but a mass of weak, pathetic, useless demons that held no real power on their own, which needed to merge within a host to amount to anything at all.

"Mother, can you feel the anxiety she is releasing?" Shinya asked. Every time the wind demoness passed overhead she seemed more anxious, more desperate and worried. "Perhaps we should see what she has to say."

"Yes, my dear, I can sense it. I can detect no ill will from her. We will allow her to speak. Come," Kuroyuri said, he voice full of authority. The five demons appeared to materialize out of the depths of the shadows, purposely projecting their youki so she would locate them quickly. They weren't a patient bunch, especially when it came to trusting others. It took only two minutes before Kagura's feather had whipped around, heading to where she could now easily sense them. They'd allowed it once again. Now she just had to hope they would listen. She landed a few yards away from where they stood in a v formation, their mother Kuroyuri in front, her two sons a bit behind her and to the sides, and her two daughters behind their brothers and to the side. "What is your reason for seeking us out once again?"

"I know you don't trust me. I wouldn't trust me either, but I have come to warn you. I could not sit back and allow his plan to succeed. I do not serve Naraku by choice. He has my heart, my physical heart, in his possession and could crush it at any time if I do not obey. But I am risking my own death for my betrayal to warn you. He will offer you all shards at the meeting tonight. Do not put them in your bodies. Especially the youngest female."

"Why should we not use the shards he gives?" Yuugure demanded to know.

"All the shards are false but one and contain a poison Naraku has the power to release when he chooses. He plans to exterminate you once you have served your purpose. The one true shard has been tainted by a witch to give him absolute power over your body, your mind, your will. He intends to make your youngest nothing but a toy to use for his own dark pleasures." She fought not to shiver in reaction to the vicious snarls that erupted from all but Shinya who was too frightened of the very thought to do anything.

"Why would you betray your master and risk your life to warn us?" Higure asked suspiciously

Kagura looked directly into the eyes of the demoness she was risking everything for. "I could not allow you to walk into such a nightmare. I have been forced to meet his needs in the past. He is vicious, violent. He finds enjoyment only by inflicting pain on others. I have suffered it and I could not bring another to suffer it as well, especially not under his total control. He intends to force you to respond as he wishes, to fulfill his every twisted fantasy."

Kuroyuri had to force the image of her baby being tortured in such a terrible fashion from her mind before she spoke. "And what do you want in exchange for this warning?"

"I wish only for you to see him as an enemy. He has many such enemies and if they were all to join together in a surprise attack he could finally be brought to his end, even with the power he gained with shards of the Shikon Jewel."

"And upon his death you shall be free?" Kagura nodded.

"He created me. I have never known freedom. I have always be nothing more than a slave. My only escape is death, and even that he has the power to deny me for I cannot be killed while my heart remains separate from my body, except by him."

The eldest, their leader and mother, nodded her understanding. "But if we fail to show for our arranged meeting he will suspect you, will he not?" Kagura nodded. "We will meet with him and accept his shards; however we will not use them. We will learn what he wishes us to do for him and agree to do so. Once we are better informed we will be able to plan further, to make Naraku pay for his sick intentions. We will not give him reason to suspect you. From the inside you will make a powerful ally and we will determine a way to use your knowledge to our advantage."

Kagura let out a relieved sigh. "Thank you. Thank you for listening to me. I will do any and everything I can do to assist you. Keep watch for the saimyosho, his bees. They are his spies and will report back to him anything they discover if not killed. I must return before he realizes I am gone." Kuroyuri nodded and Kagura took to the air once more, returning to her dark home, her prison.

"Mother, are you certain we can trust her?"

"I cannot find any way that she stands to gain besides the defeat of the hanyou and her freedom. I cannot determine any possible reason the Naraku himself would send her to tell us such things. And there was not a hint of deception as she spoke. Shinya, do you agree?"

"Yes, mother," she said softly. "There was not the slightest indication of a lie. And if what she says is true, then I owe her my safety and freedom. In return for her gift I wish to give her what she kept from being taken from me, her own safety and freedom. I will find a way to free her. I will restore her heart to her so that she may experience what she never before has."

"And we will help you," Kurai said in a soothing tone, knowing just how shaken her baby sister was by what could have transpired. "We will help you free her and we will remove his evil from this world."

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When Kagome made it back upstairs her friends were still talking animatedly about the party they'd mentioned to Sesshoumaru before he'd somehow escaped them. When the door opened three sets of eyes locked on it, waiting to see who would enter. They expected Kagome of course but some more time with Kagome's gorgeous hunk of man would have been much appreciated. "What?" Kagome asked as she saw them all just staring at her.

"Took you long enough to take a basket downstairs," Eri said suspiciously.

"There was something else I had to take care of. Sorry to keep you guys waiting."

"No biggie. We got a chance to talk to your Sesshoumaru," Yuka said with a smirk. "At least until he disappeared on us."

"Yeah," Kagome said with a smile. "I heard about it. He mentioned a party and asked me if I wanted to go. Details?"

"Oh, Kagome, you absolutely just have to come and bring your Kami of a boyfriend with you! It's gonna be the party of the year, celebrating the end of exams and the school year. Everyone's gonna be there!"

"And you've missed so many parties these last few years. Since you seem to be feeling better you should go!"

Kagome smiled at the thought of acting like a real teenager for one night. It widened as she thought of the looks on all the other girls' faces when she walked in with Sesshoumaru. It definitely sounded like fun. "It's Friday night?" They all nodded excitedly. "Well, I'd like to go but I don't think I have anything to wear."

"We're all going shopping tomorrow to pick out outfits for the party. You should come too! We haven't done anything together in like forever!" Ayumi nearly begged. She missed her friend and she couldn't think of the last time Kagome went to the mall with them. It used to be so much fun, window shopping, trying on silly outfits, flirting with the boys, eating at the food court, so many things Kagome had been missing for too long.

"I don't know guys. I already dragged Sesshoumaru shopping today."

"Yeah but not to the mall! Oh come on! Even guys like the mall!"

Kagome rolled her eyes at the level of maturity of her friends, a level she'd left behind shortly after being dragged to the feudal era. It was rather difficult to be a boy crazy, shopping obsessed, giggling and gossiping girl while living most of your life five hundred years in the past. She'd tried for the first few weeks but shopping at roadside stands just wasn't the same. Nearly being killed over and over again on a daily basis kinda cut down on the giggling. She and Sango still enjoyed a good gossip every now and then, but whispering about a hentai monk and gruff hanyou wasn't quite the same either. And boy crazy was nearly impossible when most of the males you meet are either demons trying to kill you for jewel shards or humans looking at you like you're a demon in disguise. Her choices were rather limited and she was actually very thankful that she no longer had to worry about such things. Her Sesshoumaru, which sounded so nice in her head, was more than she'd ever dreamt of so there was no chance of her swooning at the sight of a hottie by the fountain in the mall.

"I don't know if Sesshoumaru would like the mall. But the party does sound tempting. It would be nice to have some fun for once." She looked contemplative while her friends whined 'please' and 'come on, you know you wanna' at her before breaking into a grin. "Why the hell not! Alright, we'll go to the mall with you guys and pick out something to wear to this party." There was a small chorus of cheers, causing Kagome to wince again at the pitch. _'Kami, I hope the music isn't too loud at the party or we won't be able to stay without going deaf,' _she thought to herself.

"Speaking of clothes, Kagome, what's with the boa?" Eri asked in genuine curiosity.

"Oh this? Um… well… oh! The doctors recommended that if I feel even the slightest bit cold I should bundle up. It's supposed to keep me from getting sicker. Sesshoumaru gave me this and it does a great job of keeping me warm," she lied through her pretty white teeth.

"Wouldn't a blanket work just as well?" Yuka asked with a confused tilt to her head.

"Have you ever felt a blanket this soft?" she asked while holding out an arm with mokomoko wrapped around it to the wrist and allowing them each to pet it once.

"Oh wow! It's amazing!"

"I know. Nothing else like it. It's a family heirloom, so I have to be careful with it."

"That's so sweet! He gave you a family heirloom? I guess he's really serious about marrying you!"

"More serious than you know," Kagome mumbled under her breath, feeling mokomoko tighten minutely as if Sesshoumaru was there giving her a hug. "Alright, so that's decided. When are we going?"

"We were gonna go in the morning if that's alright with you guys. Then we can study afterwards so its fresh in our minds for the tests Monday," Ayumi answered.

"Sounds good to me. Now we should study some more before we stop for the day. We've had enough distractions and breaks to last us all week."

"Yeah, but you have to admit we've been having fun. We really miss you, Kagome."

"I know guys. I'm sorry I don't get to do all this stuff with you all the time."

"You don't need to apologize. It's not your fault you're sick."

_'If only you knew the truth,'_ Kagome though to herself.

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Kouga was lying on his back in the soft green grass, just watching the clouds float by. It's not like there was anything better to do. He had a week to kill and he refused to give the mutt what he wanted by leaving. He was staying right here until his sweet Kagome came back to him. He closed his eyes and sighed as he pictured her, her raven black hair blowing in the breeze, her bright blue eyes shining just for him, her smile, her laughter, her perfect body, curvy in all the right places, long legs that he wish she would wrap around his waist. It wasn't long before he found himself picturing her in a less than wholesome manner, her beautiful pale skin glistening, her body half submerged in the pool at the bottom of the waterfall near his den. He had no idea just how many times he'd dreamt of finding her there waiting for him, naked as the day she was born and more beautiful than a goddess, but if he had to guess he'd say hundreds of times, maybe even thousands.

At first he'd see her back and her soft ass that he just wanted to take a bite of, as she stood under the flowing water. Then she'd sense his presence, turning to look at him with a smile that was just for him and beckoning for him to join her. He never knew just where his clothes went, just that he was immediately as naked as she was and wading out to meet her. His hands would settle on her hips and she would look up into his eyes. He could see a hunger there and he knew just what she wanted. He'd lift her easily from the water and set her gently on a flat rock, leaning in to tease a pink dusky peak, already erect from anticipation, with his tongue. He would shower her body with kisses, tasting her delicious skin, making her shiver as he dragged his fangs across her flesh. When he couldn't wait any longer he'd lay her back, pulling her legs over his shoulders, before leaning in to taste the most tempting part of her. She was always so wet for him and she tasted like heaven. He knew just what to do, just where to touch, to push her right to the edge before pulling her back again over and over until she begged him, pleaded with him to make her cum. The sound of her desperate little cries of 'please Kouga' were almost enough to make him cum with her. The sound of his name on her lips, cried out in passion, was something he'd never tire of hearing.

He'd bring her to climax over and over, drinking her in, before crawling up over her body and kissing her passionately. Her arms would wrap around his neck and her legs around his waist, pulling him closer. She'd whimper in need as he teased her with just the tip of the erection he was dying to bury in her hot, tight, willing body. He'd make her beg again, just because he loved how it sounded, before giving in and sliding into her heat and making them both moan at the feeling. Sometimes he took it slow and gentle. Sometimes she begged for it harder and faster and he was all too happy to oblige her. This time he was pounding into her as she cried out his name to the Kamis above over and over in ecstasy. He was so close, feeling her tighten around him with each orgasm, pulling at him, trying to hold on to him as he thrust in and out faster, using his demon speed to bring them both to the brink. He was almost there; ready to pour his seed into her awaiting womb, to bless her with his pups. Just one more thrust and he'd…

"Hey Kouga!" Ginta cried out from a few yards away. Kouga shot up from where he lay, looking around in surprise. "You okay, man? You were making the weirdest sounds." Ginta looked at his alpha with worry while Hakaku sniffed the air before breaking out into laughter. "What are you laughing at? Did I miss the joke?" Ginta asked, desperate to get in on the fun.

"Hakaku, don't you fuckin' dare!" Kouga snarled from where he still sat on the ground, unable to stand at the moment without letting Ginta in on just what Hakaku found quite so entertaining. He growled threateningly as Hakaku leaned over and whispered in the other wolf demon's ear before both broke out in even louder laugher which of course attracted the attention of the rest of the group. Kouga's face was a brilliant red, both from anger and embarrassment, as well as not a little frustration. He'd been so close! Why? Why was it every time he fantasized about his beautiful miko Kagome someone or something interrupted just when it was really getting good?

Deciding he couldn't take it anymore, Kouga leapt to his feet, immediately forming his whirlwind, using the power of the shards in his legs to carry him away from his laughing comrades before he was forced to kill them all. He stopped by a fair sized pool formed by the cool stream passing through the area, stripping out of his furs and plopping himself in the icy water. Even he might have been entertained if he knew that a week or so earlier the ice prince himself, the Great Lord Sesshoumaru, found himself in a similar situation and took solace in the very same pool that the wolf prince sat in. They both were hoping the near freezing water would soothe their painful erection, caused by the same girl even, and both found themselves disappointed when the glacial flow didn't do a damn thing to help.

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Myouga'd finally made it, and with minimal burns on his little feet too. Of course, when he got there he found the person he was looking for missing. The flea knew that it would be a while before the one he sought returned since he'd obviously taken Momo with him. It was a shame really. That three-eyed demon cow had delicious blood. Oh well, since he didn't know where the old sword smith had gone he couldn't very well go find him so the little old flea settled himself in for the wait. He'd be back soon enough, and besides, he was tired from his travels. Snuggling down into the bed of furs the old demon used as a bed Myouga drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the good old days when a flea was more appreciated and much less often flattened. Those were the days.

He'd only been asleep for an hour when he suddenly found himself very awake and very flat, bringing him out of his wishful dreams rather quickly. He squirmed his way out from under whatever had squished him, ready to give them a generous piece of his mind, until he saw who it was. Sticking his thumb in his mouth and blowing hard until he popped back into shape he called out to his old friend. "Totosai! There you are! I was looking for you!"

The old sword smith furrowed his brow. "Didn't look like you were looking to me. Looked like you were hiding in my bed! How many times do I have to tell you I don't want fleas in my bed?"

"Oh, come now old friend, I was merely resting while awaiting your return. It was a long, tiring trip to get her you know."

"Was it now? What did Inuyasha do now? He didn't break the Tetsusaiga again did he?" he asked, his large eyes bugging wider at the thought of his great work in the brash hanyou's careless hands.

"What? No! No, nothing like that! I've actually come to bring you a message, one that I've been waiting a great long time to deliver. It is regarding Lord Sesshoumaru."

"Oh, no! I already told Sesshoumaru I won't make him another sword! He should be satisfied with the one he has!"

"No, Totosai! If you would just wait a moment I would be more than happy to tell you just who the message is from as well as what it is."

The old demon puffed out his cheeks before letting out a sigh. "Fine. Go on then!"

"I come to bring you a message from Lady Misaki." Myouga watched as the giant round eyes appeared to double in size in his surprise.

"What? But she's been dead for years! Such a tragedy. Such a beautiful demoness. So kind as well. If only she'd lived then perhaps Sesshoumaru wouldn't act like such an ungrateful pup!"

"While I agree with you there that is not the issue. Lady Misaki asked me to pass along this message after certain things came to pass. It has finally happened. Lord Sesshoumaru has fallen in love, just as Lady Misaki said he would, just like in her dream."

"There's no way! That icicle? Fall in love with who? Wasn't it supposed to be a human priestess or something?"

Myouga nodded his tiny head. "Yes indeed. Our Lord Sesshoumaru has fallen in love with the human priestess spoken of in the great prophecy. And the priestess is someone we both know."

"The only priestess's I know are Lady Kaede and Lady Kagome. Kaede's too old, at least I hope so. He wouldn't fall in love with her. And Lady Kagome is with Inuyasha. You know how those two are. Inuyasha would rather die than allow Sesshoumaru within fifty yards of that sweet girl."

"Perhaps he would have, but a certain priestess found a way to mend the rift between the brothers. They have officially joined packs."

"But that means… no, it's not possible. Even if he did fall in love with her, Kagome's in love with Inuyasha, isn't she?"

"Not anymore. They've cleared up the confusion surrounding their relationship and Lord Sesshoumaru will soon begin courting the Priestess Kagome."

"I'll believe it when I see it with my own eyes," Totosai said skeptically.

"And that brings me to my message. They will be coming to see you, most likely within the month if not a little more if things fare well for them. Misaki has a task for you, something important for you to forge. She told me to tell you that…" The old flea and the old sword smith sat for hours discussing Misaki's message and the item Totosai would soon begin work on. Just the basics were outlined, the selected materials and the intended item, while the details were open to interpretation, leaving the two old coots to talk into the night about just how it should look, what they thought it should or would do, and just how Sesshoumaru would feel about the whole thing. Finally they both fell asleep, Myouga this time curling up on Momo both for warmth, not that he really needed it being on a volcano and all, and just in case he woke up thirsty. Okay, so it was mostly the latter but who's keeping track?

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Hiromi looked at the demon sitting nervously in front of her, waiting for their answer. Making sure to keep her face clear of all emotions, she opened her mouth to speak. "Well, Sesshoumaru, we know that you're powerful and could sufficiently protect Kagome. You're well off so you will be able to take care of her and make sure her needs are met. But you're a taiyoukai and a Lord, and there is likely to be discord amongst the other Lords and your people about you selecting a human miko as your mate. You may end up having to defend your decision, your choice. You already have seven pups and a human child to care for. You are burdened with incredible responsibilities, and while we both appreciate you showing your respect by asking our permission, we're going to have to say…"


	66. Conscious and Subconscious

**Chapter 66 – Conscious and Subconscious**

"...we're going to have to say that we know Kagome is strong enough to stand beside you through any difficulties. We know that she loves your pups and Rin just as much as she loves her little Shippo. And we know that she loves you. That's all that matters, really. If Kagome loves you and you love her then of course we are more than happy to give our permission for you to court her, as well as our full support." Sesshoumaru's breath left him rapidly in a relieved sigh and he felt the weight and strain of worry leaving his body, leaving behind a relaxed and happy demon.

Gramps looked at the demon across from him and found that he just couldn't help himself. "Don't I get any say in this? I believe the boy asked us both!" Sesshoumaru felt his chest tighten in worry once more before Souta's words drifted through his mind. The old man sported a wicked grin, enjoying this while he had the chance, knowing that never again would he see this powerful demon at his mercy. Finally he spoke "You're the one who was born to make her happy. You are her perfect opposite, which makes you her perfect match, and the two of you will face many things together, standing as one against your challenges and your enemies. With you by her side the prophecy will be fulfilled. You are aware that you are her Sakimitama, Sesshoumaru, so why was this so difficult to ask?" he asked with a laugh. "We've been expecting it since you got here!"

Sesshoumaru allowed his head to drop to the table, cradled in his arms. Of course they would have to make this so difficult. Did they want him to have a heart attack? Of course this only made the old man laugh harder.

"Alright now, father. I think the poor boy's been tortured enough." Her father pouted for a minute before rising and heading back outside. He had patrons to sell trinkets to! "I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru. We just couldn't resist. I still don't understand how you could be so nervous. Do you not believe that the prophecy is correct? Are you not sure if you are her Sakimitama?"

His head whipped up and he caught her eyes. "No. This Sesshoumaru would never doubt that Kagome is mine, but having the acceptance of her human family is an entirely different issue."

Hiromi smiled softly. "Yes, I suppose you're right, but even if we'd said no Kagome would do whatever she wanted to. My daughter has a strong will."

He almost snorted. "Of that this Sesshoumaru is very aware."

"So, when did you ask her?"

He looked confused for a moment before realizing what she was asking about. "I have yet to ask her officially, though she is fully aware of my intentions. I wished to have your blessings before proceeding. Please do not mention this to her, at least not yet. I wish for it to be a surprise when I ask her." He watched as Hiromi nodded her agreement. "There is something else I wish to discuss with you as well."

"Sure. Go ahead."

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After a while Kagome and her friends decided to quit for the day. It hadn't been a very productive afternoon as far as studying went, but they did have a lot of fun hanging out together like they hadn't had to opportunity to do for nearly two years. Kagome walked them down the stairs and to the front door, looking around and not seeing anyone in the living room or the kitchen. She shrugged her shoulders and said her good-byes, promising to be ready to go to the mall in the morning. Once they were all out the door Kagome turned around and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Sesshoumaru standing where she'd been sure there was no one just a moment ago. He had a smirk on his face that made her suspicious.

"What are you up to?" she asked slowly.

"This Sesshoumaru is up to nothing. Can I not look at you, my pretty little miko?" The smirk grew wider as she frowned at him. In his mind his beast was doing an inu happy dance, rolling on his back, feet in the air, tail waggling like crazy, relieved that the hardest part was over. They'd given their blessings and now all he had to do was ask Kagome officially, which she'd already assured him she would agree to. Then he would officially be courting her, something he was thoroughly going to enjoy. And on top of that Kagome's mother agreed to help him with his other secret plan. In fact, she was outside right now talking to Kagome's friends about it. He couldn't wait to see her face when she found out.

"You can look at me. But you've got this sneaky look to you, and that smirk only makes it worse. What are you smirking about, hmm?"

"This Sesshoumaru has many things to smirk about." He swept her into his arms and rested his chin on her head, breathing her in. "And they all seem to revolve around you." Kagome yawned into his chest and his eyebrow lifted. "Am I boring you, Kagome dear?" he asked in a playful hurt tone.

"Nah. But I got up way too early this morning. Something about being drawn to the well house got me out of bed before dawn. Shoulda stayed in bed," she said with a grin that he couldn't see but could hear in her voice.

"Then perhaps a nap is in order? And this Sesshoumaru is very grateful that you didn't stay in bed this morning. You will be too soon enough."

"Oh, really? You still on that then? You still have plans for me this evening to put your new arm to good use?" He purred his agreement, sending shivers down her spine. "I guess so. A nap does sound good. Just until dinner though." She found herself lifted from the floor instantly, her legs making themselves at home around his waist and her arms looping around his neck. "Gotta love free transportation…" she mumbled, already drifting off. When he made it to her room he carefully laid her on the bed, leaving mokomoko to keep her comfortable and warm, before heading back downstairs to start working on the plan with Hiromi.

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"So, are you ready to tell us what's going on now Inuyasha?" Miroku asked with a grin, knowing that the hanyou was finally going to share his secret. Sango merely looked on with curiosity.

"I'm gonna tell ya, but you have to promise to at least listen before being against it." He waited until each nodded, both of his friends now wary of what he was going to say. "I caught the kids planning it and rather than stop them I decided to help them and I'm hoping you guys will help us out too."

"Inuyasha, would you just say it already?" Sango said in a frustrated tone, tired of his beating around the bush.

"Alright, already! Damn! I caught the kids planning to pull pranks on Kouga and the rest of the wolves." He saw the disapproving look appearing on both of their faces. "Hey now! You promised! No judging 'til you've heard it all. They don't like the way Kouga talks about Kagome. It's like their way off getting him back. And the wolf deserves it! He's such an ass! You can't say that you wouldn't love to see a completely orange Kouga." He smirked as neither Miroku nor Sango could stop the smile creeping onto their faces at the thought. "I know you think the prick is a jerk too. We were hoping you might join us, help us out. Kagome's mom gave me some of Kagome's clothes for her scent and her camera. And she told me about some of the tricks people in her time play on each other and gave me the stuff for them too."

Jaken had been listening from where he sat, wanting to yell at that idiot hanyou for even considering allowing the young lords to act in such a common manner. Then he realized that the wolf really deserved it and that it would be an excellent way of passing the time while his Lord Sesshoumaru and the miko were gone. "This Jaken would like to assist you." Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku all turned and looked at the little toad in shock. "What? The foolish wolf offended my Lord as well as insulted my Lady and this Jaken will not miss the chance at a much deserved revenge." They all nodded, surprised that he wanted to participate. Of course he might just come in handy.

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Hiromi was humming when she came back inside. Sesshoumaru's idea was a great one and she was already excited about it. She'd successfully recruited Kagome's three best friends from this time to help. She noticed Sesshoumaru sitting alone in the living room while on her way to the kitchen. "Is something wrong, dear?"

The taiyoukai looked up and shook his head. "No, this Sesshoumaru is merely thinking. Kagome was in need of a nap so she will be asleep until dinner."

"Alright, then come on. We can make plans while I get dinner started."

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Kagura was getting nervous. It was getting late and the sun would be setting soon. Naraku was to meet the panthers an hour after sunset. She didn't know what was going to happen. She'd successfully warned them and they told her that they would help her. But what if Naraku found out? She wasn't ready to die. What she wanted, more than anything else, was to survive long enough to see Naraku defeated, to experience true freedom, even if just for a moment.

Naraku was anxious as well, but for a different reason. He couldn't wait to give the panthers their 'shards'. He would have the help needed to put his plan into action. They would separate the hanyou from his companions on the next new moon and once Inuyasha was alone and defenseless he would finally succeed in killing the annoyance that had so far eluded him. And once the task was done he would have a new toy. Naraku closed his eyes and allowed his head to rest on the wall behind him, relaxing as he pictured all the different things he would do with his pretty little panther demoness doll. He felt as his arousal increased in anticipation. He couldn't very well go meet with them in his current 'condition', so he decided to take care of the problem himself.

He reached into his hakamas, his hand wrapping around his erection. He hissed in pleasure at the contact before slowly sliding his hand up and down the shaft, all the while imagining the things he would do when she was finally his.

_She lay on her back, fully naked and exposed to his heated gaze. As he approached the bed she smiled at him, her hand beckoning him closer, while her eyes held nothing. It was like she was hollow inside. Naraku trailed his clawed fingertips up her left leg, leaving a trail of blood behind him. She moaned for him like a good girl at the stinging sensation as he sliced open her skin. He straddled her waist so he could make full use of both of his hands, his claws tracing patterns on her stomach and chest. He saved the breasts for last as he leaned down to lick the blood that was pooling in her navel, drinking in her life's fluid, moaning himself at the taste of her. He kissed his way up towards her breasts, licking up her blood as he went. All the while she'd been moaning, her body enjoying the pain inflicted on it by her master, but at the same time her mind was locked inside, experiencing everything but unable to stop it. _

He loved that thought the most, that she would be conscious inside of what he was doing and how she obeyed him. He growled his enjoyment as his hand moved faster now, his hold so tight it was painful, but he reveled in the pain, his grip getting even tighter in his excitement.

_He finally kissed his way to her breasts, his tongue flicking out to tease a dark, erect peak that topped a beautiful tanned mound. He swirled his tongue around it a few times before taking the nipple in his mouth, suckling gently until his mouth opened wider and he sunk his fangs into her flesh as deep as they could go. His teeth still buried in her breast he looked up at her eyes, seeing the conflicted look. Her body followed his command, enjoying his rough treatment, but her mind was still in there, horrified by his actions and terrified of what would come next. A single tear slipped from the corner of her eye before the last flicker of life her eyes held was extinguished as she gave up and accepted that she would serve him as he wished for the rest of her life. His hand slipped down her body to behind where he still sat over her waist, his fingers roughly exploring her previously untouched folds before roughly shoving three fingers into her virgin opening, knowing that even though she moaned in pleasure, inside she could feel the pain._

Naraku grunted and gasped as his body released, covering his hand and his pants with a sticky white mess. He wiped most of it from his hand before standing and heading to his personal spring. He would be fresh and clean when he met with his newest 'allies', though he was certain it would be difficult to keep his mind off of his doll, especially being so close to her. With a frustrated sigh he slipped out of his clothes and into the steaming hot water. Hopefully a bath would help him pass the time until their meeting. He was not a patient demon, at least not when it came to the acquisition of his soon to be most favored female. It would already be hard enough not taking her until after the hanyou was dead. Until then all he had for entertainment was Kagura or his own hand, and he much preferred himself to that frigid bitch. So it was just him, alone, anxious, aroused, all until he finally killed Inuyasha.

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Dinner was done. They'd gotten a lot of planning done, made the more important decisions, and filled in both Souta and Gramps on their secret. The table was set and it was time to wake Kagome. Sesshoumaru headed up the stairs and opened the door to her room. He was hit with a wave of the most delicious scent that he couldn't stop the purr in his chest. Her arousal was thick in the air but as he looked at her he noticed that she was still asleep, deeply asleep. He stood and merely watched her for a few minutes, smirking when she would moan and mumble his name in her sleep. Apparently his sweet, pure little miko was having very impure dream about him. He couldn't help but to sit gently on the edge of the bed and lean down to just very lightly kiss her soft lips.

She responded immediately, returning the kiss, deepening the kiss, dragging her tongue along his lips as her arms wound around his neck so he couldn't escape her. Well, he could have but why would he want to? When she pulled back for air he spoke quietly. "Kagome… Kagome wake up. It is time for dinner and your family is waiting."

Kagome was in a world filled with fluffy clouds, soft white fur, and one beautiful sex god that she couldn't help but worship. She knew it was a dream but when he pressed his lips to hers it felt incredibly real and she thoroughly enjoyed the kiss, filling it with the passion she felt for him. His arms wrapped around her and his deep, sexy voice surrounded her. She didn't want to wake up. She was enjoying herself right where she was. But as his words continued to slip through the wall separating her dream world from the conscious world Kagome knew she had to get up. They'd skipped out on dinner with her family last night and they couldn't do it again, no matter how tempting the idea was. She let out a little groan as she began to wake, watching her dream god fade away before her. When she slowly opened her eyes, she smiled. It wasn't so bad leaving dream the Sesshoumaru when you had the real one waiting for you when you woke up.

"There you are. What were you just dreaming about, Kagome?" Sesshoumaru asked with a half smirk he was trying to keep under control. He watched as she blushed and looked away, refusing to answer. "That good? Well at least I know I was in it. This Sesshoumaru would be hurt if you dreamt of another, especially if the dream made you smell this good. You only smell like this for me."

She groaned in embarrassment. She just couldn't catch a break from the inu nose. "And what if I was dreaming about someone else? How can you be so sure it was you?" she asked playfully. A low and threatening growl escaped him at her words. "Oh calm down big bad demon. You know you're the only one who makes me feel like this. Can't take a joke, can you?"

He frowned at her. "This Sesshoumaru does not enjoy the possibility of you being so aroused by another." He leaned in a kissed her throat, his nose pressed to her pulse. "You are mine, no one else's."

Kagome wound her fingers through his hair. "No one else's. Unless you count the children and the rest of the pack. You do kinda have to share me with them."

His tongue slipped out and licked over her pulse. "Granted, though no one else will have as much of you as I do. And this Sesshoumaru is certain you were dreaming of me because you were calling out my name between moans. Quite the sight you were. Now we must go down for dinner. They are still waiting for us."

"Alright, just gimme a minute." The demon lord watched her go into the small room that held the shower, closing the door behind her. When she came out a few minutes later her hair was brushed and she looked much more alert. He was slightly disappointed that the scent of her arousal was nearly completely gone. "I'm ready," she said before opening the bedroom door and looking back at him. "You coming or what?" Realizing that he was just sitting there staring he shook all errant thoughts from his mind and rose. They walked down the stairs together before taking their seats at the dining room table.

"Did you have a nice rest, dear?" Hiromi asked while passing a large dish to Souta, who passed it to Kagome.

"Yeah. I guess I was really tired. But then I should have expected it, getting up before dawn and all."

Dinner conversation was light, no one wanting to say something they shouldn't. It was especially difficult for Souta who was dying to announce their secret at the top of his lungs. But he'd promised, and he intended to keep it. Sesshoumaru was finding the meal more and more difficult to sit through as time went on. He tried a bit of each dish Hiromi had made but none of it was appetizing. He'd just eaten that afternoon anyway so he wasn't hungry, at least not for food. But Kagome, that was a different story. Whatever she'd been dreaming must still have been on her mind because her enticing scent grew stronger every minute. Every time he glanced at her she would blush and look away, the scent of her arousal spiking deliciously. He was having a serious internal fight as to whether he should wait patiently until dinner was over and then maul her the second they got in her room or if he should just throw her over his shoulder now, leap up the stairs, and taste that delicious scent she was releasing. While he would have preferred the second he knew he had to do the first. Knowing that didn't make it any easier though. By the time the plates were empty Sesshoumaru was just minutes away from breaking his own resolve and going with plan B.

He watched as Kagome helped her mother collect the plates and left-over food and carry it al to the kitchen. When she came back out she looked at him with a sweet, innocent smile that so contradicted the delicious smell she was putting out. "Do you want some more of your food? Or are you not hungry at all?"

"This Sesshoumaru is not hungry at the moment." 'At least not for food. You, on the other hand, are quite appetizing. If you do not hurry and get upstairs I will be carrying you.'

Kagome blushed and turned away, quickly excusing her self and Sesshoumaru for the night. She started up the stairs, an inu taiyoukai hot on her trail. Once she made it into her room she found herself pressed against the back of the now closed bedroom door, her demon holding her there while burying his face in her throat. "What's got you all excited?" she asked between her soft breathy moans as he kissed and nipped at every inch of her that he could reach.

His mouth was near her ear, his hot breath caressing her skin. "You, Kagome, have gotten me very excited. First a naughty dream and then your arousal during the evening meal… this Sesshoumaru can only take so much temptation."

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"I have always found the wolf prince to be irritating and rude, especially the way he refuses to listen to Kagome and the things he said about her the last time we saw him," Miroku said thoughtfully.

Sango nodded. "I still can't believe the things he said. He deserved for Sesshoumaru to wring his neck. I'm in," she announced with a smirk.

"Well, if my lovely Sango is in then so am I." Miroku smiled as Sango blushed.

"K'eh! You two need to get a hut. I don't know how much more of this lovey dovey shit I can handle. It's weird enough watching my brother flirt with Kagome. Now I gotta watch you guys too?"

"I would be more than happy to take this to an empty hut," Miroku said while waggling his eyebrows at Sango.

"Monk, just cuz I love you doesn't mean I won't kick your ass!" Sango growled back, her hand clutching Hiraikotsu

"Alright then. Sango, don't knock the idiot out. It's time we make our plans. We wanna do a couple things a day so that we have something to enjoy while Kagome's gone."

Miroku nodded and rose, walking over to the piles of supplies. After poking around for a moment he pulled out one of the drawing pads Kagome'd brought for the children and a crayon. He returned to his seat and all the children joined them, forming a circle around the fire. "First we should list the different ideas so we can determine which will work the best with which. Then we can make the attack plan for each day."

Inuyasha smiled. They'd agreed to join in on the fun and Miroku was going to be a huge help. The group sat and talked, the kids listing off their prank ideas. Then Inuyasha shared the ideas Hiromi had given him, making everyone laugh as they imagined just what would happen to the wolves and how they would react. And to have pictures! That made it all the better. They plotted and planned until everyone was too hungry to go on without dinner. They ate while talking and then continued until night fell and everyone went off to bed to dream of what they would do the next day.

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The sun was setting in the feudal era just as the sun was setting in Kagome's time. Sitting in a dark room a being with fiery red eyes watched as night closed in. It would be soon. Very, very soon. The impatient hanyou had everything ready. The shards, both fake and real, were completed. In just less than an hour he would be taking the next step in his brilliantly evil plot.

Not too far from where the dark hanyou sat, running his plan through his mind, were five shadows moving stealthy though the forest. They had devised their plan of action and now all there was to do was wait for the meeting time. They had chosen the time after sunset for a reason. The panthers could disappear completely into shadows, as if they were made of nothing but shadows themselves. He would never be able to pinpoint the locations of all of them, ensuring they would have the upper hand. They would keep their youngest the farthest from the monster who planned to enslave her. He would pay for even thinking such thoughts. He would suffer for his cruel intentions and the demoness who risked her own safety to protect the safety of their own would be set free as soon as possible.

The panthers were never one's to jump into battle without all the information. They would find a way to kill the abomination and set Kagura free, but first they would discover what he had wished for them to do for him. They would learn about his other enemies. They would learn about any other creature, human, demon, or otherwise, who were wronged in some way by Naraku. They gather all information they could before making a plan and following through. Until then they would act as if they knew nothing of his treachery. They would listen to what he wanted from them; they would most likely agree to help him, to keep Kagura safe, and they would make sure he felt like he had everything under control. He would never suspect a thing, not until his blood painted the ground as black as the night sky and he breathed his last.

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"What, my dear, sweet, **innocent** Kagome, were you thinking of during our evening meal to cause you to smell quite so intoxicating?"

She blushed at his words. How could she tell him what she'd been thinking? What'd she'd dreamt of earlier? How could she possibly find the words to explain how she was remembering the feel of his long slender fingers sliding in and out of her body? How could she tell him that she was imagining just what it would be like to touch him like he's touched her so many times before? How could she put in to words her overwhelming desire to explore his perfect carved form?

"No answer my dear? Perhaps you were anticipating what this Sesshoumaru has planned for you this evening?" He pressed his body against her, his hands moving to rest on the curve of her hips. "I was promised after all. I will most definitely be enjoying you this night."

"Really?" she asked in a playful voice. "What if I'm still tired?"

"Then you will be even more so when I have finished with you."

"And if I have a headache?"

"You know very well I can sense when you are in pain."

"What if I just want to cuddle?"

"If you postpone my fun for the evening I will only enjoy you twice as much tomorrow. Perhaps even more due to the frustrating delay."

"Well I wouldn't want to leave you frustrated now would I?" She let out a soft moan as his hands moved over her soft skin, traveling under her shirt and caressing every inch of her he could reach. Deciding she didn't want to wait any longer, Kagome lifted her shirt over her head, turning her back to him to allow him to attempt to remove the lacy purple bra that covered her.

"No, I believe I will leave this on for a while longer. Though you are more than welcome to remove the pants." He leaned down, pressing kisses to the soft skin of her back, dropping to his knees to cover her lower back with kisses and pulling the now unhooked jeans down as he went. She stepped out of them, kicking them across the room to land next to her hamper. "You are absolutely beautiful, my Kagome." She smiled as he rose behind her, yelping in surprise as he swept her off the ground to lay her across her bed. He started at her feet, kissing her ankles and moving up slowly, worshipping the length of both legs before skipping over the lacy panty covered area to continue kissing her stomach and chest, avoiding the covered areas once again. He intended to make her suffer just as long as he had suffered through dinner.

While she was enjoying his adoring touches and kisses her mind was filled with thoughts that were swirling and refusing to go away. She wanted him to make her feel like he had before. Her body ached for the relief only he could give but she also wanted to touch him, to kiss and explore his body as he was doing to hers. Finally she decided. "Sesshoumaru?" she whispered. She wasn't sure to ask for what she wanted. She hesitated.

He moved higher to look into her nervous eyes. "What is it you desire my Kagome?" His voice was low and deep, filled with the passion he felt only for her.

"I… will you… I mean I want to… Shit!" she said roughly, frustrated with her inability to word her wishes.

"Whatever it is you want Kagome I will give you. All you need to do is tell me."

She closed her eyes tight and sucked in a deep breath, searching for as much confidence as she could scrounge up. "I want you to… lie down for me." He looked at her in confusion for a moment before moving off of her to do as she wished. "Wait!" she said in a tone that surprised them both. He stood next to her bed, not sure what to do. She stood and moved closer to him, slipping the open silk shirt from his shoulders. She fingered the white undershirt while looking into his eyes. "Take this off." Her finger slid down to the waist of his jeans where she unbuttoned and unzipped them with expert speed. "And these," she said with a tug on one of his belt loops.

He couldn't help but obey her demands. Hearing her order him to remove his clothing was one of the most erotic things he'd ever experienced. No one dared tell him what to do, but here was a petite human miko in nothing but purple lace making demands that he fulfilled immediately and obediently. Inside even his beast was ready and willing to roll over, play dead, fetch, or anything else she wanted. He stood in front of her in nothing but his red silk boxers wondering what would come next.

She flipped the comforter to the bottom of the bed before slipping between the sheets. "Take them off and get under here," she ordered, suddenly feeling powerful as her demon of immeasurable strength met her every whim. She turned away, still not sure how she was going to manage but knowing she wanted to try. She felt him slip under the sheet beside her. "I want you to stay still for me, alright?" He nodded absently, completely focused on her actions. "I… I want to… just don't move."

"Your every wish is my command little miko," he said in his deep, seductive voice.

Kagome lifted her upper body up on her right elbow as her left hand lowered the sheet so that his chest was fully exposed but he was still covered from the waist down. She trailed her fingers along his skin as her hand moved back up his body. "You are so sexy," she whispered, not sure where the words had come from. Seconds later she was sitting on his abdomen, both her hands tracing the lines of his body, outlining every muscle while they twitched under her attention. Leaning down, she pressed her lips to his lightly before opening her lips to trail her tongue along the crease between his still closed lips. They opened immediately at the sensation of her tongue dragging along them but once they parted she pulled away slightly, moving on to trace the lines on his cheeks. Her hands slipped behind his head, holding him still as she pressed a hard kiss to his still open lips, slipping her tongue between them to taste him.

He allowed her to control the kiss, adoring the feel of her above him in the dominant position which was something he'd never imagined possible. He and his beast were in agreement. Whatever she intended he would allow. His body belonged as much to her as hers did to him and he wanted her to know so. His body belonged to her as much as hers did to him. Besides, he was extremely curious to see where she went with this and if she would lose her nerve. She was incredibly nervous, he could tell, but as she got more comfortable and bolder she got less and less anxious.

It felt so good to be above him, to be in control, and Kagome absolutely reveled in the feeling. Pulling her face back from his own, she dragged her nails down his chest, leaving red trails behind that faded before her eyes. Apparently he enjoyed the feeling, if the moan he released was any indication. She leaned back down, kissing his shoulder and into the curve of his throat, smiling as his head tilted away to give her more access to his throbbing pulse, knowing that he had just submitted to her dominance according to his inu instincts. It meant a lot to her that he would do so. He trusted her enough to allow her this. He truly didn't see himself as above her, couldn't if he could so easily submit to her. The knowledge only excited her more as she took full advantage of her dominant position. She licked and nipped at his throat and shoulder, imitating what he'd done to her multiple times, paying special attention to his pulse point. Remembering their time in the forest she dragged her teeth across his skin and was not disappointed in his reaction. She continued her trail of kisses, moving down his chest, teasing his nipples with her tongue and teeth, paying close attention to his every sound, learning just what he really liked.

As her lips trailed lower his eyes rolled back in his head. Her every touch seared him, her teeth dragging across his skin, nipping at him was almost more than he could stand. If he had not been a being of such control he would have already rolled her beneath him and buried his face in the source of the amazing scent that was so strong he was having trouble focusing. His head spun with the arousing fragrance and the sensations she was sending through his entire form. He felt her move lower, tongue tracing the dips carved between his perfectly defined muscles. He didn't know what to do when she moved off his body to rest at his side, her upper body supported by her right arm as her left traced the line of the sheet, her fingertips brushing the soft silver trail of hairs that lead to where he most wished her to touch. He missed the heat of her body over his but the bit of disappointment was flattened as she moved her fingers through short silver strands. He watched her closely as she dragged the sheet lower, revealing more silver that she ran her fingers through, admiring the softness of what was really more fur than hair. She knew he was incredibly aroused. She couldn't have missed it if she tried since the sheet was obviously tented where it just barely covered his aching erection.

It was so soft. She'd never really paid attention to that little trail of hairs starting at his navel but now she was enthralled with the texture, uncovering more so she could continue her exploration. She was so close. She knew she could do it. She would just pull the sheet down a little further and see what she'd been so curious about ever since she'd felt it brushing against her in the shower. She really didn't understand why she was so nervous about it. Sure, she'd never seen one up close. She'd never seen anything more than a diagram in her health book before her quick glimpse in the early morning light as the drops of water covering his body glimmered in the bright shining rays. But she would get past her nervousness. She wanted too badly to touch him, to make him feel the same pleasures as he did her, and no amount of nervousness could or would stop her.

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He had sat in the alley for hours, confused, unsure of what was real and what was merely his imagination running away from him. He sat until darkness fell before he rose, walking mechanically to his home, ignoring the questions from his parents as he climbed the stairs to his room. Closing the door behind him he lay on his back on his bed, not bothering to strip out of his soiled clothes, staring at the photos of his beautiful Kagome until he slipped off to sleep. His sleep was filled with nightmares of blood red eyes and deadly pointed fangs, of the sound and smell of sizzling concrete and a sickly green glow. There were demons hiding in the shadows at every turn as he searched for her. All throughout the night he tossed and turned, sweating and crying out in his sleep, as the demons chased him, as the demons stole his Kagome and she cried out for his help, as he failed to rescue her from the darkness over and over again.


	67. Talk To Me

**Chapter 67 – Talk to Me**

It was killing him, absolutely killing him. He didn't know if she intended to move further south or not but the unbelievable ache for her touch was driving him insane. He watched her eye the tented sheet while gently caressing the soft fur just an inch from where he hoped her destination lay. She sucked in a deep breath before slowing pulling the sheet lower, allowing the cooler air of the room to hit his heated, hard and throbbing erection.

Her eyes widened as she saw the very size of it. She'd had no idea how long and thick it was before. Feeling it pressed against her, brushing against her, it wasn't easy to determine size. But now she was fairly certain that he was much bigger than any human man, at least in comparison to the drawings in her health book. Brushing away the worries about just where he intended to put it at some point in the future, Kagome allowed her curiosity to take control, extending a finger and running it slowly down the side of his rigid penis, touching it for the first time. She heard him suck in a breath through his teeth and immediately pulled her finger away at the sound of his obvious pain.

The feel and sight of her touching him was more than he could handle and he failed to withhold the sound that escaped him. He immediately wished he had as she pulled back as if he'd burned her. She looked up at him with worried blue eyes. "Kagome, if you wish to touch me you are more than welcome. If you are uncomfortable you do not have to force yourself."

"You mean I didn't hurt you?"

She sounded so worried, it was cute. He smirked at her. "No, you did not hurt me. You could not hurt me unless you do so purposely." He very nearly sighed in relief as her hand reached out once again. This time two fingers stroked the surprisingly smooth skin. Intrigued, Kagome traced the veins she could see through the tightly stretched skin. As she touched an especially sensitive area she yanked her hand back once again in shock as **it** move on its own.

She scowled at him as he chuckled lightly. "Hey now! I've never done this before!"

"I apologize for laughing though if you'd seen your face you would have as well."

The frustrated Kagome moved her hand as she spoke. "Well I'm so sorry I didn't know it could move, alright!" Looking at him, hoping for a reaction to her words, the virgin miko noticed a rather glazed look in his eyes. Her hand tightened around something and she realized that while she'd been scolding him she'd reached out her open hand, curling her fingers firmly around his length. She tightened her hold for a second before loosening it and allowing her hand to slide towards his body before continuing up and away. The smooth palm of her hand slipped lightly along his soft skin. She watched her own hand for a while, enthralled, before turning to look at Sesshoumaru. A wave of pride and even more arousal crashed over her as she took in the sight of his pleasure filled eyes, seeing his hands clenched in the sheets at his sides, his breathing choppy and panting.

His eyes were locked on her hand as he watched it move, brushing gently against his heated and aching flesh. He absolutely loved the feeling of her grasping him, of the friction she was causing as she caressed him. Just seeing her touching him in such a way for the first time was amazing and he was intent on remembering this first forever. He nearly groaned when she released him but actually did when her hand gently explored a bit lower, first trailing her fingertips lightly before delicately cupping experimentally. Hearing his moan she caught his eyes and held his gaze as she held a little more snuggly and gave a soft tug, a grin spreading across her face as his eyes rolled back in his head and he groaned. Apparently he was just as easy as she was after all. Her hand returned to wrap around him once more, this time holding tighter as she stroked up and down. It was amazing, watching in his eyes, on his face how wonderful it felt and she was only touching him.

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He swept into their arranged meeting place a little early, making sure to have arrived before his 'guests'. Why they'd picked this location out of many he wasn't sure. He stood at the edge of a high cliff, a wide stream at his side, the water cascading down the drop-off, the waterfall making a rushing sound in the background, not loud enough to be annoying or to interrupt discussion but loud enough to cover the sound of careful footfalls and rustling leaves. As he took in his location more and more he became suspicious of their intentions. He could be easily surrounded here, blocked off by the cliff and the swiftly moving water. Of course, they were unaware that the drop-off meant nothing to him since he could float inside his barrier in an instant if necessary. His confidence returned as he realized he was not in danger. This location actually worked to his advantage. They would only be able to approach him on two sides. There would be no sneak attacks from the rear and he didn't have to worry about guarding his back.

They watched from the shadows as he moved into their arranged meeting place. They kept silent, merely observing as he surveyed the area, noticing his growing suspicion before his glowing red eyes filled with confidence once more. It was perfect, just why she had chosen this place to begin with. The waterfall would cover any sounds of their approach, not that it was really needed as they were experts in stealth. The cliff edge and quick moving water blocked two directions so they did not have to spread themselves thin. They knew the cliff wouldn't hinder his escape if he chose to and his confidence in his safety and security was their ultimate goal. He was sure that he held the upper hand which would keep him from scrutinizing their every word and movement. His overconfidence would make him unaware of their intentions. He would have no reason to doubt their loyalty when they joined as his allies. His arrogance would be his eventual downfall.

In complete silence and synchronicity the panthers stepped out of the shadows. Naraku didn't even see them at first. Their bodies seemed to materialize out of the darkness, as if moment before they had been nothing but a cloud of shadow. When he noticed their presence he took in their stance. There was a male to his right and a male to his left, the mother and the two young females stood directly before him. He didn't like the fact that they had approached him without his notice. Even with the background noise of the falls he should have been able to sense them. He hid his discomfort with a dark smirk. "I see that Kagura has chosen well. If your entrance is any example of your abilities then you are just what I have been looking for."

Kuroyuri lifted her chin high as she spoke. "Our abilities are far greater than simply approaching undetected. The wind witch said you have a proposition for us?"

He chuckled, making the hair on the back of Shinya's neck stand on end. She could feel the evil aura rolling off of him. He was far more demented than they had known. There was nothing but darkness and ill-intent behind his glowing red orbs. Once more she silently thanked Kagura for her warning. If this **creature** had been allowed to follow through with his plan then she would have gotten a very intimate look into the true nature of the beast.

"Right down to business, I see. My preference as well. I have need of your assistance so that I may remove the most annoying obstacle in my path. How he has been able to survive this long I do not know but what I do know is the date of his death." Naraku went on to explain, in his view of course, Inuyasha and his pathetic little group and how they had somehow managed to become an irritant and an impediment in his path. Of course he painted them as a merry band of village idiots who just kept getting lucky in their encounters with him and his 'loyal followers'. They didn't need to know how many times they'd thwarted his plans, how many times they caused major setbacks, or that the miko in their midst was the only living being that could sense the jewel shards. They were merely temporary help anyway and did not rate a complete background.

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His hands clutched the sheets at his sides, his claws tearing through the thin fabric easily. She'd probably be mad when she found it but right now all that mattered, all that existed was her touch. It was heaven or closer to it than he'd ever imagined a demon such as him would be allowed. As his eyes fell closed he once again wondered what he could have possibly done to deserve this beauty and her loving touch. He was just dying to flip her beneath him and show her his undying appreciation. It was getting harder and harder to control himself. His hips wanted to lift in rhythm with her hand, his hands wanted to touch her, he wanted so badly to kiss her and yet he did nothing, trying to stay still for her like she'd asked, afraid if he didn't that she would stop. '_Just a little longer…_' His eyes snapped open at his thought. What would she think? What would she do? What if she reacted badly? What if she found it disgusting? Did she have any idea what she really was doing to him? "Ka… Kagome…" he gasped out between groans of enjoyment. "I… you… shit."

Her eyes widened and her hand froze in place. Did the great demon Lord of the West just say shit? "Sesshoumaru?"

He could think more clearly now that she'd stopped her blessedly torturous stroking and he looked into her eyes. "Kagome, as wonderful as it is, you have to stop." He reached down and gently took hold of her wrist, pulling her hand away from him. She looked confused, worried even, and he pulled her up towards his face so that her arm lay across his chest and she looked him right in the eyes. "If you had continued you would have gotten a surprise," he said with a grin. "Besides, this Sesshoumaru can wait no longer." She yelped as she found herself on her back with the demon above her looking down with a devilish grin. "I've been waiting all day." He leaned down a pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "Did you enjoy yourself my little miko?" he asked in a whisper as he nibbled on her ear.

"Mmmhhhmmm," was all she could manage as his hands and lips moved over her body. He kissed and nipped at her throat, a pleased growl escaping when she tilted her head. She knew it was a submissive gesture and she still did it, making it mean so much more. His fingertips brushed along the edges of her purple lace bra, making her arch into him, trying to get more contact. He knelt over her body, a knee on either side of her hips and his still very present erection lying on her abdomen. His hands slid down her sides, making contact with just the tips of his claws, making her shudder at the teasing touch.

"This Sesshoumaru enjoyed it very much," he murmured against her throat before his arms slid behind her and slowly pulled her to sit upright before his fingers expertly released the small hooks and pulled the lace off her shoulders and down her arms before tossing it over his shoulder. He laid her back gently and moved a bit lower, pulling a pretty pink peak between his lips, his tongue teasing the very tip, making her moan and squirm slightly under him. His right hand held his body off of her while his left cupped the previously lonely breast, swirling a claw around her areola and flicking across the tight nipple. "You taste so good Kagome, every inch of you." His lips found hers once again and her arms wrapped around his neck, keeping him close.

"Sesshoumaru?" she whispered, not wanting to break the sensual feeling floating in the air around them. "I wouldn't have minded. You've done such amazing things to me. I… I want to do them for you too." She smirked as his golden eyes locked back on her bright blue ones. "You didn't have to stop me."

"Well then this Sesshoumaru will not do so the next time. But you are mine for the rest of the evening."

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Inuyasha was awoken by the tossing and turning of the little girl lying next to him. He sat up carefully, trying not to jostle the other children but they were already stirring. Soon they all were watching as she shifted and whimpered. Inuyasha didn't know what to do. He didn't have a lot of experience with kids and what he did wasn't so great. He hadn't always been nice to Shippo. To be honest he was almost never nice to Shippo. Kagome took care of things like this. Sango and Miroku were still asleep and he didn't want to have to admit that he had no idea how to handle this. He was supposed to be in charge and taking care of them all. He looked at Yoshi who was watching Rin with worried eyes.

"What do I do kid? Do I wake her up?" he whispered.

"I don't know. I've never seen her like this."

The inu hanyou heaved a sigh before pulling the sweet little girl that looked like she could be Kagome's daughter into his arms. "Rin," he called softly, trying not to wake his friends. "Rin, wake up. You're alright." She struggled against him and he carefully set her back down, afraid he might hurt her if he tried to restrain her. Instead he shook her shoulder and called to her again. Everyone jumped back as she shot upright, startling everyone with her rapid movement. Her eyes looked around wildly as if she was searching for someone. "Rin, it's okay," Inuyasha said.

For a minute Rin didn't have any idea where she was or how she got there. All she knew was they were after her again. It had been so long since she even thought about it but they were back, chasing her, nipping at her heels. She couldn't run fast enough. She knew she'd never make it to him. She knew she was going to die. Finally her eyes landed on silver hair and worried golden eyes. She threw herself into his arms and sobbed into his shoulder. "Lord… Lord Sesshoumaru!" she gasped out.

The worried and confused hanyou ran his claws gently through her hair and whispered reassurances, trying his best to remember what his mother had done for him when he had nightmares. She wanted Sesshoumaru, even thought **he** was Sesshoumaru. "Rin, calm down. It's alright. You're safe. It was just a dream."

"But it happened again! They were chasing me again! Rin thought they were gone, that they wouldn't come back!"

"Who, Rin? Who was chasing you?"

"They caught Rin again! Rin could feel it! It hurt so much!"

"Rin, you need to calm down. I don't know what you're talking about. You're safe. You're here with me and Shippo and the boys. Sango and Miroku and Jaken are here too. And Kirara, Kazue and Ah Un. You're safe here. No one can hurt you. We're all protecting you, I promise." The little girl's sobbing continued, her whole little body shaking as he held her. "Get her a bottle of water," he ordered. Shinji jumped up and dug through a bag before running back. "Rin, do you want a drink?" he asked, hoping that slowing down to take a drink might help her calm.

Rin still shook in his arms, terrified of whatever had been tormenting her in her dreams. Slowly her sobs weakened until she was left sniffling and hiccupping. She opened her eyes and looked around in the darkness, the light of the dying fire the only real source of illumination. Finally she focused on Inuyasha, having realized that Sesshoumaru wasn't there. She looked at him with such pain and fear in her eyes that his heart nearly broke in half.

"Rin, do you want to talk about it? If you tell us your dream it might help. We're all here for you, Rin. I promise that nothing can get you. No one is going to hurt you. Talk to me Rin, please?"

After a few gasping attempts she finally calmed enough to talk, though the hiccups weren't making it easy. "Rin (hick) had the dream (hick) again. They were (hick) chasing me again. (hick) Rin was so (hick) scared."

She paused for breath and Inuyasha handed her the bottle of water. "Take a drink. It might help with the hiccups." She obeyed and took a few long sips, the cool water easing the tension in her throat from all her cries and sobs. After a few minutes the hiccups were gone and she finally looked like she was fully awake and aware of her surroundings. "Rin, who was chasing you in your dream?"

She looked around for a moment at the sight of eight pairs of golden eyes and the one pair of emerald watching her with worry. "The wolves," she whispered. "The wolves were chasing me again. I couldn't make it. I wasn't fast enough. They caught me. They killed me. I couldn't make it to him in time." She sounded more and more upset as she went on.

"It's alright now. The wolves can't get to you and they aren't after you. I promise. You are safe."

He looked so much like her Lord, her Papa, that she finally started to relax again, going limp in his arms. "Don't let Rin go. Please hold Rin."

"Of course I will," he mumbled into her ear as he stroked her hair, feeling her slowly drifting back off to sleep. "Have sweet dreams, Rin. I'll protect you while you sleep." Once she was asleep again Inuyasha looked at the boys. "Do you know what she was talking about?"

They all shook their heads. "We've never seen her have a nightmare, and she's never said anything about wolves before," Akihiro stated. "I've never seen her so scared." They all watched her sleep for a while before the boys drifted off one by one. Inuyasha shifted carefully so that he could lean his back against a tree while holding the little sleeping girl close to him. Whatever had happened to her to make her dream of wolves chasing her had to have been bad. He was going to ask his brother about it the first chance he got. Sesshoumaru had to know what was going on.

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They listened in silence as Naraku spoke, all of them wanting to roll their eyes at his arrogance. Kagura had given them a bit of a look behind the mask, so to speak, so they were quite aware of his exaggerations and little omissions. When he finally finished his self-glorification they were rather tired of hearing his voice and very much wished for him to get to the point. "Naraku, as informative as this has been, as of yet you have not explained what it is you desired for us to do. We do not have the overabundance of time necessary to stay and chat with you until dawn. Talk to me. Tell me what it is you wish of my children and my self," Kuroyuri said in a rather condescending tone. She had never, in her many centuries of life, experienced someone quite so tedious to listen to. Never had she met someone with quite so high an opinion of themselves as this disgusting hanyou.

He wanted to snarl at her. No, he wanted to do more than snarl. He wanted to put the self-righteous bitch in her place. How dare she speak to him in such a derogatory tone? For a moment he was ready to run them all through with his tentacles or poison them all with his miasma in retaliation for her mouth but caught himself in time. If he killed them then he would have to go through this tedious process again, and besides, he most definitely did not wish to kill his sweet little kitten before he enjoyed her. Perhaps after she had experienced all he had to give. After performing his every fantasy and met his ever whim, perhaps then he would kill her, once her body was broken and spent and of no more use to him. But to kill her now would be such a terrible waste of planning and effort. Not that it was his effort or anything but the witch had sent Kagura to the ends of Japan to acquire the necessary ingredients and the wind bitch's time could have been better spent scrubbing floors on her hands and knees in nothing but her earrings, or any other of his many imaginative punishments for her.

He managed to get his anger under control before it was noticed by his audience. It wouldn't do for them to lose their trust in him. At least he thought they hadn't noticed. They had. Shinya had seen the red glow of his eyes darken, his already dark purple aura shifting to nearly completely black. She could feel as his thoughts went from violent to perverse and she had to force her body to hold her ground and not retreat. Kurai couldn't feel what her sister did but she could see her sister become more and more uncomfortable. Shinya had always been especially sensitive to the thoughts and intentions of others, and no matter how much their mother tried to help her she had yet to learn how to keep her emotions separate from what she picked up from others. She glanced at her eldest brother Yuugure, seeing that his muscles were tense and his face was being held purposely blank. He must have picked up on Shinya's discomfort as well. He'd wanted her to stay safely in their den but Mother had insisted she come along. She was right, of course. It would have been incredibly suspicious if she had been absent and they would have been forced to come up with an acceptable explanation. They didn't need to give him any reason to distrust them yet.

He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to ensure that his face and voice would remain even and calm. "I have discovered the half-breed's night of weakness, his human night, a secret he has successfully kept from me until now. I require your assistance in my plan to permanently remove him from existence by attacking on the specified night and separating him from his companions. I will be the one to kill him. I have waited far too long to see the life fade from his eyes. He shall die at my hand, knowing that I am the one to have defeated him and sent him to hell."

"You wish for us to keep his companions distracted while you kill this Inuyasha?" He merely gave a short nod. "We are more than capable of handling three humans, a firecat and a kit. Now, we have yet to discuss payment for our services. We were informed that you were offering jewel shards?"

His smile grew darker as the panthers walked right into the palm of his hand. "Yes, I am. These three humans are more powerful than most, a monk, a demon slayer, and a miko. Because I appreciate the risk you will be taking in battling them I am willing to supply each of you with a jewel shard to ensure your safety and survival. The shards will be yours to keep upon the successful completion of my plan and the death of Inuyasha." He nearly snarled the inu hanyou's name as if it left a disgusting taste in his mouth.

"You will give us the shards before the battle then?"

"Yes. As a sign of good faith in our partnership I am ready to give them to you now if you agree to join with me in this endeavor." Naraku watched as each of the panthers appeared to become intrigued and excited at the prospect of the shards. He had them right where he wanted them. They had no reason to suspect that the shards were anything but genuine and their greed and their desire for power would blind them to any.

"Let us see them then," Higure said in a demanding tone.

Naraku smirked internally. Already they were focused on nothing but getting the shards. Perfect. He reached into the sleeve of his haori and pulled out the five shards. The witch had made it so that he could easily distinguish the real from the fake while they would not be able to notice the difference. He held them out for them to see, the darkly glowing shards glinting in his outstretched hand.

"Is it true, what they say? Do the shards really double your power?" Kurai asked in an eager tone, following their planned script to the letter.

"The shards of the Shikon Jewel give the holder more than twice their power. They make you nearly invincible. Even if you are torn limb from limb the power of the jewel will draw the pieces back together and ensure your survival. They will give you new abilities that you have never before dreamed of," he bragged, hoping to reel them in even more so that they would immediately place the shards in their bodies right before his eyes.

"What powers have they given you then?" Yuugure asked.

"I have been blessed with great power by the jewel," he bragged. "I am able to create a poisonous miasma instantly. I can erect impenetrable barriers. The examples are countless."

"We'll do it!" Higure said rather loudly.

"Higure! It is not your place to make decisions for us all!" Kurai hissed.

"I can make the decision for myself. Give me a shard. I will join with you."

"Higure, calm your self and be patient. You will do as I say." Turning back to Naraku, Kuroyuri spoke again. "We will join with you. We will accept your offering of the shards. We will follow your direction."

"Excellent," Naraku said, fighting back his evil laughter at just how easy it was to gain the trust of these fools. They were all alike. Every demon wanted more power. Every demon wished to be invincible. They were all greedy creatures who would do anything for a single shard of the jewel. He was a bit disappointed that his kitten hadn't spoken but there would be time for that. An infinite amount of time for him to hear her voice and so many things he would hear her say. Realizing the direction of his thoughts he had to will away his growing erection before it was noticed. The shards in his hand were picked up one by one by saimyosho, each being directed as to which panther to give which shard to.

"You will give all of the shards to me. I will distribute them to my children."

The saimyosho all paused mid-air, awaiting the orders of their master. Naraku was screaming in his mind. This was not how it was supposed to go! They were supposed to get the right shards. He was going to ensure his sweet little doll received the shard intended for her. Now what? He couldn't tell her no. That would only give rise to suspicions. Deciding he would have to figure it out later he nodded and instructed his bees to drop all the shards in the eldest panther's open palm. "As you wish," he said, making sure to keep the resentment he was feeling at her out of his voice.

While Naraku had thought his arousal had remained a secret, it had not. Not only had Shinya sensed it, as well as that it was directed at her, but her brothers had caught the scent of his arousal on the slight misty breeze rising from the falls and each was fighting a silent battle with them selves trying to keep from killing the disgusting bastard where he stood. They knew what he was thinking and they wanted nothing more than to remove the offensive organ and shove it right up his ass, preferably followed by a large tree branch or two. Their attention was pulled back to the present when the shards dropped one by one into their mother's hand. They weren't sure if they would be able to distinguish the genuine tainted shard from the counterfeit poison ones but at least this way none of them would come into contact with their little sister. This prevented the possibility of the shard forcibly entering her body with them unable to remove it. Priority number one was to keep Shinya safe from the abomination before them.

"I will send Kagura to inform you of the details as the date approaches." The panthers watched in silence as a purple cloud formed around Naraku's feet and lifted him from the ground. Once he was about twenty feet off the ground the cloud surrounded him. When it cleared he was gone, having disappeared without a trace.

"Showoff," Higure mumbled.

"Higure, silence," Kuroyuri said in her authoritative tone. The younger panther brother lowered his head obediently. "Come, all of you. It is time we leave this place." At her words the five black panthers appeared to dissolve into a dark mist that disappeared into the shadows, leaving no trace of their presence.

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"Will you… I mean… never mind," she mumbled, loosing her nerve.

"What do you want me to do, Kagome? All you have to do is tell me."

His voice was both passionate and sincere and she couldn't help but smile. She still couldn't make the words leave her lips but she found it easier to tell him silently. 'Ever since this morning I… it's like an ache, a nagging feeling that just won't go away. I…' she trailed off, turning her face to the wall.

"Kagome, how am I going to do what you want if you don't tell me what it is? Talk to me."

'At the spring the first time… I feel… I feel empty… I want you to… to…'

"I understand," he whispered before kissing her softly again. "Your wish is my command my sweet little miko." He moved slowly down her body, leaving a trail of kisses, licks, and nips. Every swipe of his tongue made the ache in her grow, so much so that by the time he made it to the top of her panties she was just about read to grab fistfuls of his hair and forcibly move him to where she wanted him. She knew he was enjoying teasing her, making her squirm, and she couldn't take much more. He smirked as he heard her sigh of relief as he peeled off the saturated purple lacy boyshorts that covered the center of her aching need. "Anxious, my love?"

"Oh just stop teasing me and do it. I think I'm gonna die," she growled.

"Well I can't have that," he said while he trailed his index finger along her folds before slipping between them. He brushed past her clit and slowly dipped his finger inside her, almost laughing at the sound of her relief. Leaning down, he twirled his tongue around her clit while moving his finger in and out of her body at a torturously slow rate.

"More… oh more… and faster," she gasped out. He immediately obeyed, pulling his index finger out of her completely only to very carefully press two fingers in, feeling her walls clench around his digits as her passage stretched slightly at the intrusion. She moaned at the feeling. Finally the ache was subsiding as waves of pleasure replaced it. She groaned in disappointment when he withdrew from her completely and looked down to see him licking his fingers clean. He smirked up at her as he slid them back in once more, this time not finding as much resistance as her body learned to accommodate the intrusion. While the fingers of his right hand pumped in and out, making her whole body quiver, his left hand slipped under her ass, pulling her body up towards his mouth, his tongue flicking rapidly, alternating light and heavy pressure. Already she was close, her walls clenching tightly on his fingers as if trying to hold them in. Her head rolled back on the bed, her eyes closed as she panted and let out the most arousing little moans and gasps. Every now and then she made an attempt at his name, though it was much to long for her current level of concentration, instead only managing "Mmmm… Sessh…"

It felt more amazing than she'd imagined, and she absolutely loved the feeling of his fingers stretching her, sliding in and out at a steady pace. She didn't even notice as her powers rose inside her, spreading across her entire body like a second skin. Sesshoumaru groaned into her as he felt the burn of her pure miko energy against his skin, tingling through his tongue. She was so very close. He withdrew his fingers once again, putting them in his mouth and sucking them clean before his tongue returned to its previous task. Just when she thought she would go crazy she felt that amazing stretching sensation again as he slid three fingers into her tight passage and sucked hard at her clit, sending her exploding into ecstasy, her powers rising and washing over his body. It burned against his skin, but it wasn't a threatening feeling. It was more like her aura was wrapping itself around him in an attempt to hold him to her forever.

As she began to come down he started pumping his fingers faster and deeper, driving her to an even higher cliff before throwing her off. He shifted his hips on the bed, his erection throbbing in time with the clenching of her walls around his fingers. With her second orgasm her power spiked again and it was more than he could handle. He growled into her folds as he reached his own peak, the vibrations pushing her higher which resulted in another power spike. His muscles tensed as another massive wave of purifying energy rushed over him, forcing another powerful orgasm from his body, leaving him panting with his head laid on her thigh. He pulled his fingers slowly from her body, hearing a little groan of protest as the feeling of emptiness returned.

When he could move again he ran his tongue over his fingers, removing any trace of her, before running his tongue lightly and slowly between her folds, not missing a drop of the sweet taste of her he craved. She moaned lightly at the gentle touch and smiled as she felt him press a soft kiss to her clit. She looked down into his eyes, her hand coming down to bury in his hair. "Mmm… Sesshoumaru… you are incredible."

Once his mind cleared of the fog of orgasm he realized that now they were going to have to change the bedding. He groaned mentally, wondering just how the hell he was going to explain this. It wasn't really normal conversation material. He crawled up her body, leaving kisses every now and then. She stretched beneath him, feeling every muscle in her body relax until she felt completely boneless. He buried his face in her throat and breathed her in before mumbling in her ear. "This Sesshoumaru apologizes."

"What for?" she said in a sleepy tone.

He sighed, still unsure how to say it. "The bedding is soiled," he mumbled.

"How did it…?" she started as she turned her face in an attempt to see his eyes. The look he gave her said enough. "Oh… alright. No biggie. Got another set in the closet. But I can't change them until you get off me."

He furrowed his brows. She always took everything in stride. He rolled to the side before standing and taking her hand, helping her move her exhausted but beautiful naked form upright. He watched her carefully as she pulled the sheets off the bed before tossing them in the dirty clothes basket. He paid extra attention as she walked across the room, opened the closet, and stood on her toes to reach another set of sheets on the top shelf. Her body looked exquisite as the muscles in her calves and thighs tightened as she stretched upwards. Her deliciously bare breasts bounced slightly as she walked back towards him and the bed, sheets held under one arm. He watched with his eyes glued to her form as she bent over the bed as she replaced the sheets. If he wasn't already so completely satisfied and relaxed he would have been hard pressed to not take advantage of her position as she looked very much like an inu bitch presenting herself to him. Still his fingers twitched as he kept from reaching out and touching her. Thankfully she was quick and in just a minute she slid between the fresh, crisp sheets. She held the top sheet up with a sleepy smile, waiting for him to join her. Sesshoumaru slid into the bed, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her body tightly against his own. Her scent and aura wrapped around him and they drifted off to sleep together. 

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Momoko was tossing and turning in her bed. Her mind was torturing her as her dreams replayed the events of the afternoon over and over. It was a little different every time but there was always laughter. They were always laughing at her. The other customers in the store who merely looked on as she was assaulted by Kagome's boyfriend laughed as she hit the floor. She could hear Kagome laughing at her while clinging to that beautiful man she didn't deserve. She heard the gorgeous male laughing at her too. Why did everyone laugh at her? She fell again as he let go of her wrist and the laughter echoed around her. His words were on a loop. He called her a whore and Kagome laughed.

Everyone always laughed at her. No one ever took her seriously. She was always surrounded by the most attractive boys at school but they were only interested in her for one thing. No one wanted to hear her talk. No one cared about her opinion. All that mattered was whether she would drop to her knees or spread her legs. She knew they didn't care but it was too late. After her first time she found out that the boy wasn't interesting in a relationship with her. He didn't like her. He just wanted to fuck her. And once it got around school she suddenly became popular. At least they were paying attention to her. So she slept with them. It didn't matter. It didn't mean anything to them. For her, she did it because even for that short time they were paying attention to her. Their focus was on nothing but her. She was the center of the universe for those short minutes.

He was calling her a whore again and this time his final words registered, waking her from a dead sleep. She sat up in bed trying to figure out what woke her up for a few minutes before her dream returned to her mind. _'He said I have a disease and I'm pregnant! How the hell would he even know that? He had to be joking!_' It was just one more thing to say to her to embarrass her. Momoko lay back down and watched the light moving on her ceiling as cars passed her window. No matter how hard she tried she just couldn't put it out of her mind. Instead she found herself trying to calculate in her head when she last had her period. It was harder than it should have been and she began to realize that it had been more than a month. Almost two really. _'Shit! Why the hell didn't I notice it before? Shit! I can't be pregnant. I can't!' _Momoko knew she wasn't going to be getting any more sleep. The rest of the night was spent trying to figure out who the father would be if she was pregnant, all the while praying that she wasn't. She had no idea who the father would be. She didn't really keep track or anything. She had absolutely no idea.


	68. I Don't Wanna Wake Up

**Chapter 68 – I Don't Wanna Wake Up**

As the sun peeked through the curtains and hit her closed eyes, Kagome let out a groan and pulled the covers up over her face. Sesshoumaru chuckled and then watched as she peeked over the edge of the comforter at him. "Do you intend to sleep all day, Kagome?"

She grunted and rolled over to face the wall while mumbling. "I would if it wasn't for the damn sun and **someone** laughing." She closed her eyes tightly, determined to block out the world. She felt Sesshoumaru moving around beside her and fought her curiosity. She soon found out just what he was up to as she felt a trail of kisses being left along her spine moving downwards. "Sesshoumaru, what do you think you're doing?" she asked before letting out a big yawn.

The kisses stopped and Kagome found herself being gently rolled onto her back. "I am merely ensuring that you do not go back to sleep," he replied, his lips brushing the bare skin of her stomach before he resumed the rain of kisses.

"You're mean," she mumbled as she fought back a moan, refusing to encourage him.

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Hiromi was downstairs washing the breakfast dishes, wondering if Kagome and Sesshoumaru were ever going to show their faces. She'd just placed the last plate in the drying rack when there was a knock at the front door. Looking at the clock she almost laughed. Apparently Kagome had forgotten the plans she made with her friends. Moving quickly, she opened the door with a bright smile and ushered the three girls inside. "I think she may have forgotten to set her alarm," she told them. "Why don't you three go sit in the living room and I'll go and see if she's awake yet." The girls nodded and went to make themselves comfortable on the couch, each imagining just what Kagome had been up to last night that she would still be asleep. It was already nine-thirty and they were wasting precious mall time!

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Sesshoumaru was burrowed under the covers, still placing teasing kisses all over her while Kagome fought to remain annoyed and disinterested, though her will was fading fast. They both froze, though, when they heard the knock on the front door. Kagome twisted around to see her clock, swearing when she read the time. "Sesshoumaru, did I remember to tell you we're going to the mall this morning with my friends to shop for the party Friday?"

He smirked at her, not that she could see him. Now she would have to wake up, though he would have preferred more alone time with her. He crawled up her body as they both listened to Kagome's mother talk to the three girls downstairs.

"You have to let me up. Mom's gonna come up here and try to wake us up!"

"And why does that mean this Sesshoumaru must allow you to get up?"

"She can't come in here and find you naked and on top of me!"

His smirk turned darker as he began to kiss her throat, trailing one hand down the side of her body, teasing her with just the tips of his claws. He lowered his hips to rest his lower body on hers, her legs spreading to accommodate him. As he nibbled on her ear she let out a moan and her arms came up around his neck. "This Sesshoumaru is not concerned, and soon neither will you be."

They could hear Hiromi making her way up the flight of stairs slowly, the sound of her steps snapping Kagome back into reality. "You have to get off me," she hissed at him.

"This Sesshoumaru would rather not," he said in a playful tone as he moved his attentions to the other side of her throat. "She will not come in."

"And how can you be so sure?" she nearly growled at him.

He refused to answer, instead moving so that he was looking straight into her eyes. The sound of steps on the stairs stopped and they could both sense Hiromi just on the other side of the door. "Kagome? Sesshoumaru? Are you two awake in there? Kagome, your friends are here and they're waiting."

Sesshoumaru smirked down at her and Kagome glared before finding her voice. She did her best to sound normal as she called out to her mother. "Yeah, Mom, we're awake. We'll be down in a few minutes."

"Alright, dear. Don't take too long now."

They both listened as she headed back down the stairs. "Okay, so she didn't come in but you still have to get off me so we can get dressed!"

"This Sesshoumaru will move when you ask me nicely. Until then I am quite comfortable right here." He chuckled as she growled in frustration. "Growling at me will not make things easier. In fact, it is guaranteed to make things harder," he said with a grin that reminded her way too much of Miroku.

"Kami, I think he's contagious," she whispered to herself, making Sesshoumaru look at her in confusion. "Nothing. Never mind. Sesshoumaru?" she said in her sweetest voice.

"Yes, Kagome?"

"Would you please be so kind as to get off me so I can get dressed? Because otherwise I don't think you'll enjoy the rest of our stay here quite so much as you have so far," she said with a threatening glare.

"You would not deny me," he replied, though he didn't sound entirely certain.

"Do you really want to find out?" she whispered before leaning up and running her tongue along his jaw line. She could see him mentally debating what he should do and grinned triumphantly. She would be the victor. She was sure of it.

He let out a sigh before rolling off of her towards the wall so that she could scoot out of the bed. He didn't follow, though. He simply sat up and watched as she rushed around the room trying to decide what to wear and get ready as fast as possible. It took her amazingly under five minutes before she skidded to a stop and looked at the still very naked demon in her bed just watching her.

"Are you just gonna sit there?" she asked, exasperated. "You need to get dressed too you know!"

"You will explain where it is we are going," was his only reply.

Kagome let out a frustrated sigh before moving to poke through the piles of clothes she had stacked on the floor at the end of the bed where the bags had been. She needed to either clear out a few drawers or get another dresser because there was no place for her to put his clothes at the moment. "We're going to the mall. It's like the stores we went to yesterday, except that there are lots of stores all inside one big place. I need to get a new outfit for the party and maybe one for you too. Here," she said as she stood up, holding several items. She tossed a pair of red silk boxers at him. "Put 'em on, big boy," she said with a smile. She didn't turn around this time as he slipped out from under the covers to stand. At the sight of him a purring growl escaped her unbidden, causing his eyes to lock on her with curiosity.

"Kagome, why did you just make that sound?" he asked curiously, not taking his eyes off her as he pulled on the boxers.

"I don't know. It just came out. Why?" While he stood there studying her and looking perplexed she made her way to him, setting her chosen shirt on the bed and holding out a pair of black cargos, already unbuttoned and unzipped. "Sesshoumaru? Come on, put on the pants."

He shook his head a little, trying to clear out the confusion. She'd just made a very inu sound, one the female would make when aroused to entice her mate… and it worked. His body had responded to the sound as if his little growling miko wasn't human at all. The changes were getting more and more obvious. He mentally smiled at the thought. As much as he loved her as a human, he could only imagine her as an inu. Sure, she could keep up with him alright so far, but her human body would tire much sooner than he would during actual mating. If she were a demon, however, then their fun could last much longer. He wondered just how far the changes would go. Would she remain human but with some demon traits or would she fully transform into a demoness?

He was jolted from his thoughts as she poked him in the chest. "Sesshoumaru! Come on!" He looked down at her, seeing her holding out the pants he was supposed to be putting on and tapping her foot in annoyance. "What in the hell is the matter with you?" she asked, half irritated, half concerned.

He took the proffered pants and slid them on, waiting for her to close them for him. "Do you feel any different, Kagome?" he asked curiously.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked while looking up at him confused as her fingers closed his pants automatically.

"You are taking on more and more inu characteristics and tendencies. That sound you made was a sound an inu female would make towards her mate."

She raised a brow at him as she picked up and held out a red t-shirt for him to put on. "Really? I don't think anything's different. But then I didn't notice I could hear better until the boys noticed first. Does it bother you that I'm changing?"

"Of course not, Kagome. This Sesshoumaru will love you whether you are human, demon, hanyou, or anywhere in between." She helped him pull the shirt over his head and he looked down at the front of it. "Your mother certainly has a sense of humor, doesn't she?" Kagome giggled and nodded before grabbing her brush and motioning for him to turn around. He turned for her and found himself almost purring as she brushed his hair. He felt as she carefully arranged it over his shoulders to cover his not so normal looking ears. When she was done she pointed for him to sit on the edge of the bed as she produced socks and the shoes he'd worn the day before. She looked so incredibly tempting as she knelt as his feet, and he found himself once again having to mentally force away his growing erection, reminding himself that her friends were downstairs waiting. When she finished she picked a pair of shoes for herself out of her closet and grabbed her purse, heading for the bedroom door. "Kagome, wait."

Kagome turned around and looked at him, wondering what she'd forgotten. He looked her over, examining her outfit. She was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans with little flowers embroidered around the pockets and on the legs and a white peasant style top. She looked cute, though Sesshoumaru was mentally cursing himself for using the word cute, even in his thoughts. He reached over and gathered up mokomoko from where it sat on the end of the bed. "I can't wear that, Sesshoumaru, no matter how much I'd like to." Her eyes widened as the long length of fur shrunk before her eyes. When he was finished he wrapped it around her waist, slipping it through a couple of belt loops to keep it from slipping. Kagome stood in front of the mirror and shifted it around a bit until the long tail end hung off to the side and it looked like she was wearing a little boa belt. "I didn't know you could do that!"

"This Sesshoumaru just thought of it yesterday. We should go. Your friends are getting impatient and are now hypothesizing as to what is taking us so long."

She let out a sigh. "Of course they are. Come on. Let's go." Picking up her purse and shoes again, Kagome opened the door and started down the stairs followed by an extremely attractive dog demon.

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Inuyasha had slipped away from the sleeping children as he heard Miroku and Sango moving around the camp quietly. He pulled them to the side and told them about the night's events, hoping they would have some insight into Rin's nightmare. Soon they were both as worried about the little girl as he was but neither had any explanation. Sango suggested that they not all ask her about it at once as it might overwhelm her and she might not be ready to share. It was decided then that she would ask Rin about it when they went to wash up before breakfast. With the decision made, Miroku set about restarting the fire that had been reduced to glowing embers during the night and Inuyasha went off to fill a few water bottles so Sango could make breakfast.

On his way back from the stream, the hanyou couldn't help his curious nature and he took the long way, peeking in on the wolves still sleeping not far from his pack's camp. He glowered at them for a moment before moving away. His distaste for them had grown overnight. Even though he didn't know why Rin was dreaming about being chased and killed by wolves, just the fact that she'd had such a terrifying dream made him dislike the wolves more than usual. He was more than ready to put them in their place and he hoped that their plans would be successful. As soon as everyone was up and fed they would get ready for phase one of their game plan, Operation Separation.

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Kagura couldn't believe how lucky she'd gotten. When Naraku returned from his meeting with the panthers he was angry and she was afraid that they'd told him of her betrayal or that they'd refused to join with him. She was terrified that he was going to kill her on the spot for either but calmed as she'd listen to his ranting while he threw the few things that hadn't yet been broken at the walls, the sound of shattering glass reverberating through the deserted halls. He was yelling about the 'bitch of a mother' they had and how she'd forced him to give her all the shards instead of handing them out one by one. As she thought about it Kagura laughed silently, her face hidden behind her fan to ensure no one saw. Kuroyuri had found a way to ensure that the tainted shard never came into contact with Shinya.

He was still throwing his tantrum and it was already past sunrise. He didn't know how to rectify the situation, how to ensure that the right shard got to his intended victim. It would do him no good if one of the males received that shard, or the other females. He had his dark heart set on the youngest and he wanted no other. She could hear as he swore he would have her, one way or another. He would find a way to have his demoness doll. She shook her head at her master, thankful she wasn't in the same room as he. She wasn't in the mood to catch the flying shrapnel that exploded from the stone walls when ancient vases or other breakables made contact. He had no idea how much danger he was in. The panthers wished not only to kill him but to make his death as slow, painful, and degrading as possible in retaliation for his disgusting intentions for their youngest and most protected member.

She wanted to go and visit them, curious about their impressions as well as just what he had asked them to do for him. He still had yet to let her in on his newest plot or why he needed the additional assistance to begin with. They knew now and she couldn't wait to find out. She didn't know if they intended to do as he asked or not and by the way he had been gloating, Kagura knew that if they intended to assist him as requested then she would have to find another way to foil that plan as well. She knew it had something to do with the hanyou's pack, but that was the full extent of her knowledge. She couldn't help but grin when she thought of what trouble he was going to find himself in if he attempted to attack that group. No longer did it consist of three humans, two demons, and a hanyou, but instead the pack now contained four humans, one hanyou, and thirteen demons. Naraku was in for a big surprise when he next approached them. She only hoped that she could be present to see not only his shock but the beating he would surely endure if he managed to escape with his life.

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When Inuyasha returned to camp with the water he found that the children had woken while he was away. He determined that Rin must be with Sango as neither was present in the circle around the newly burning fire. He dropped the bottles beside where Sango had begun her breakfast preparations and found a seat around the fire with them. "So, how did you guys sleep last night? Was it better with her clothes?"

There was some grumbling and a few yawns before he finally got a coherent answer. Shippo was the one to speak to him. "It was a little better. I fell asleep easier but I still kept waking up looking for her. How many more days until Mama Kagome comes back?"

Inuyasha counted on his clawed fingers before answering. "Today's Sunday, and she said she'd most likely come back next Sunday so counting today and that Sunday, since we don't know if she'll be back in the morning or evening, then it will be eight more days." The groans and whimpers of complaint tore at the hanyou's heart. He knew just how they felt, except that he could go and visit Kagome if he really needed to see her. They couldn't. "I know it isn't going to be fun or easy but just remember what she said. After this she'll be here with us for a lot longer than usual. I know that probably doesn't mean a lot to you guys but Shippo and I know. She used to go back home for two or three days every couple of weeks. Now she's going to stay with us all the time and only go back for short visits and for supplies. Once we make it through this week, we shouldn't ever have to go without her for this long again."

Miroku smiled at his friend. "That is very insightful of you, Inuyasha. The discomfort and loneliness we all feel, you all probably even more than Sango and I because of your marks, is for the best and once we struggle through it, it will be behind us. My friend, I don't think I have ever heard you sound so… mature."

"K'eh! Fuck off!"

Miroku chuckled. "And there's our Inuyasha. Thank goodness. For a moment I thought you might have been possessed by some much more mature and serious spirit." Inuyasha growled and Miroku started to laugh outright. Shippo's laughter joined the monk's and soon everyone was laughing, even the hanyou, none noticing how the stress of separation was lifting off of their minds.

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When Rin had woken up she was frightened at first as she found herself alone on the bedding. When she sat up and looked around though, she was relieved to see her brothers, as well as Sango and Miroku, gathered around the fire. She didn't see Inuyasha, which saddened her slightly. Even though he wasn't her Lord, last night when he had held her and comforted her after her nightmare, he might as well have been her Lord Sesshoumaru. She wished he was still holding her, because she felt safe with him. She didn't know why she dreamt of the wolves again but she still couldn't shake the feeling the dream left her with, had always left her with.

For months after she'd been resurrected by Sesshoumaru's Tenseiga, she'd suffered the terrifying dreams nearly every night. She could always feel the tightness in her chest and she ran, gasping for breath. She could feel the jolt as she tripped and hit the ground. And then there was the torment of remembered pain as the wolves caught up to her fallen form and sunk their teeth into her, ripping and tearing at her flesh until she either passed out or died. She wasn't sure what had occurred once it all went dark.

But every time she woke it was like the first time. Her Lord Sesshoumaru was always there, looking down at her with worried eyes, or holding her little body tightly to his chest with his one arm, or watching her from where he sat while she was wrapped comfortably in his mokomoko. Eventually the nightmares stopped and she had normal dreams again. She hadn't dreamt of the wolves in over a year, almost a year and a half. But she had last night, and Inuyasha, her Lord's brother, was there for her.

She slowly stood and made her way to the others. When they spotted her she could see that they were all still worried. "Where is Inuyasha?" she asked softly.

Sango opened her arms to the little girl and welcomed her as Rin accepted the invitation. With Rin in her arms, Sango spoke softly. "Inuyasha went to get some water so I can make us all breakfast. Rin, would you like to come with me to wash up? I know Kagome usually took you with her, but she's gotten me into the habit of washing my face and hands every morning too." She felt Rin nod against her and, shifting the little girl in her arms, Sango rose and walked away slowly, followed closely by both Kazue and Kirara, neither demon willing to let the two humans out of their sight.

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Miroku had warned the boys when they woke not to ask Rin about her dream, that Sango would do so. They were all worried about her but they agreed that asking her all together might overwhelm her. It might be better for another female to ask her. They watched as Sango carried their big sister away in her arms, knowing that they would both be safe and protected by the tiny demons that trailed behind them. Once they were out of sight, they began to discuss what had happened during the night, trying to determine if any of them had heard Rin mention nightmares before. Finding that none of them had any idea they were back at square one and so they resigned themselves to waiting for Sango to return with her, hoping that the demon slayer would be able to learn something from the little girl who meant so much to them.

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When they reached the stream, both knelt and began to splash water on their faces, clearing away sandman crusties and waking themselves up. Once they had moved on to ensuring that their hands were nice and clean Sango decided to ask. "Rin, Inuyasha told me you had a nightmare last night. Do you want to talk about it? I know that Kagome has told Shippo in the past that telling someone about whatever you dreamed about is good. Shippo used to have nightmares about how his father died, and I know that I've had nightmares where I relived the fight that killed my father and the other demon slayers. Talking about it seemed to help. I know I'm not Kagome, but I care about you too."

After a minute of silence the little girl spoke. "Rin doesn't want to talk about it. It's scary and it hurts and Rin thought it was gone but it came back."

"Alright, Rin, but if you change your mind I'll still be ready to listen."

Looking up at the older girl, she smiled. "Rin thanks you. Rin is fine now, so there is no need to worry."

Sango nodded and stood before helping Rin to her feet as well. "Well then, let's head back to camp so I can get breakfast started, okay?" She couldn't help but smile as well when she saw the brilliant smile on the little girl's face as she nodded, and the two headed back in the direction they came from, hand in hand.

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Hiromi smiled as she saw her daughter and who she considered to be her new son coming down the stairs. As Kagome passed her and slipped into the kitchen to grab a quick breakfast she noticed Sesshoumaru's attire. Her smile widened and Sesshoumaru raised a brow at her. "Is this Sesshoumaru correct in his assumption that you had an enjoyable time while selecting my wardrobe?"

"I'm sorry sweetie," she said between quiet laughs. "I couldn't help it." The shirt Sesshoumaru was wearing was her favorite of all the ones she picked. It was a dark red with large white lettering on the front that said 'I Am The Big Dog'.

"Hn," was all he got out before he heard Kagome calling him softly from the kitchen. "Excuse me. Your daughter is calling for me." She nodded and moved out of his way so he could meet Kagome in the kitchen. When he walked in he saw her sitting on the counter eating a cereal bar, something he recognized as she'd given them to the children.

She tilted her head in a motion for him to come closer and waited. When he was within reach she pulled him closer so that he stood between her legs against the counter. "Are you hungry?" she asked quietly while smoothing a wild strand of hair into place. "You can eat real quick if you want. I can talk to the girls for a while before we leave."

He considered her question. He'd just eaten the previous afternoon but he had to admit that the selections he'd made at the market were rather enjoyable. Finally he decided he might as well since otherwise he was sure Kagome would worry about him. He nodded his agreement and smirked as she popped the last of her bar in her mouth and wrapped her arms and legs around him tightly. His arms slipped around her waist and he felt her bury her head in the curve of his throat. He heard her inhale deeply and then sigh. "Is there a problem, Kagome?"

"No, not really. I just don't wanna let go. You smell nice, did you know that? Relaxing."

"This Sesshoumaru finds your scent soothing as well. You do not have to let go if you do not wish to. I assume the mall will not be going anywhere."

She laughed softly before letting her legs drop to his sides and pulling her arms back. "No, it isn't going anywhere but they're not gonna wait much longer." He stepped back and held her hips as she slid off the counter. "It's all cold. Is that gonna be alright?" He nodded in response. "Any preference?" After she helped him select his choices she left him in the kitchen and went to sit with her friends in the living room.

When they saw her there was a chorus of 'About time's and 'What took so long's'. She mumbled an apology and then told them it would be just a couple minutes longer as Sesshoumaru was grabbing a bite to eat before they left. The four girls chatted for a few minutes, talking about what stores they wanted to go to and what they were looking for before Kagome heard Sesshoumaru's footsteps approaching. She smiled to herself and turned to see him leaning in the doorway. As her friends noticed him the room fell silent, all four girls enthralled with the vision they were blessed with. Kagome looked away first, noticing the silence. Looking at her friends she found that they were all staring at Sesshoumaru like he was a double chocolate cake with chocolate icing and they all wanted a taste. The urge to remove each of their eyes with her claws, the oddity of which she failed to recognize, was interrupted by her mother.

"Kagome, dear, what do you want me to do with these?" Kagome turned to see what her mother was asking about and immediately paled. In her mother's hand was the pack of feminine wipes Hojo had been so kind as to bring her on Friday. "I put the other things away in the kitchen but I'm not sure what you want to do with these." Her eyes turned back to her friends, seeing the laughter in their eyes, and she wished she could disappear.

"Mom, please," she said in a pleading voice. "I don't care. Hojo brought them. I don't want them." It took just a second for Kagome to regret her words.

"**Hojo** brought you **those**?" Yuka asked, trying not to laugh and failing miserably.

Kagome put her hands over her eyes. "He's always bringing me care packages I don't want."

"Yeah, we know, but those! I can't believe **Hojo** brought you something so… **personal**."

When she heard his voice in her head she knew she was in for it. 'What exactly is it that is causing you such embarrassment and your friends such entertainment? What is it he brought for you and how is it personal?'

She heaved a sigh before standing up and taking them from her mother, throwing them up the stairs and smirking as she heard the thunk of the package hitting the wall. After a second of thinking she tried to answer him. 'They are special moist towelettes for women.'

'And that is embarrassing how?'

Wanting to growl at his insistence she shook her head. "I'm gonna kill Hojo the next time I see him," she grumbled, causing peals of laughter from her friends. 'They're supposed to be used to clean my… a woman's… damn it! They're for a woman's private area!' When she heard his growl her head whipped to look at him, thankful that her friends' laughing had kept them from hearing it as well.

'And what is that **boy** doing giving them to **you**?' He wasn't able to stop the suspicious tone of his voice in her head. The very thought of that human boy having anything to do with his Kagome, let alone that part of her, made him angry. Especially since the boy was obviously mentally unstable, making him a possible threat to her safety and wellbeing.

'Oh, come on. Apparently the last disease Gramps picked had something to do with that. It has nothing to do with me. Hojo insists on bringing me things to 'help me get well'. I've told him not to. And how **dare** you insinuate something like that! You know that you're the only one to **ever** go near me there!'

Feeling her rage through their connection and hearing the anger in her voice in his mind he immediately began backpedaling. 'Kagome, I did not mean to insinuate anything. I am not accusing you of any wrongdoing. I know that you are untouched by any but this Sesshoumaru. Please…'

'Whatever,' was his only response as she cut him off. "Are we ready to go then? Mom?"

"Oh, yes of course dear. Just let me grab my keys and my purse." Hiromi left the room and Kagome leveled a glare on her still giggling friends, shutting them up instantly. They all rose and move to the door, slipping on their shoes as they left the house. Sesshoumaru followed behind, worried that Kagome was angry with him. He deserved it, of course. He should never have made it sound as if he didn't trust her but it had just happened. Hiromi walked outside, closing the door behind her. She caught up with Sesshoumaru with a few quick steps and saw his expression. "What's the matter, Sesshoumaru? Is something wrong?"

He looked at Kagome, who hadn't stopped moving or made done anything to signal that she heard her mother's question or cared. He let out a quiet sigh before turning to her mother. "This Sesshoumaru upset her. She was explaining to me what it was that you were asking about and I asked why Hojo was giving her such a thing. I did not mean to sound suspicious or accusing but I did. Now she refuses to talk to or even look at this Sesshoumaru."

The older woman laid her hand on his arm and he felt a wave of comfort wash over him, her calming aura so similar to that of her daughter. "She'll get over it. Come on. The girls can't get in the car until I unlock it."

Sesshoumaru stopped mid-step. "Car?" Kagome had explained them to him somewhat and he had seen them on the television as well as in the road the previous day but he hadn't even thought about getting into one. He was wary of the strange machines he didn't understand.

"It'll be fine. I promise." Hiromi's voice was so calm and reassuring that he relaxed slightly and started walking once more. When they caught up with Kagome and her friends he tried to catch Kagome's eye but she still refused to look at him. There was a strange beep from the giant piece of metal he was expected to climb into and Eri opened a door. Hiromi opened the driver's door and slipped in, fastening her seat belt and putting the keys in the ignition. Sesshoumaru watched as the three girls climbed into the third row of seats and Kagome settled herself in the middle row.

'Kagome?' He didn't want to look weak or show his fear but this was something entirely new and definitely nerve-wracking. It was very different from his own preferred methods of transportation, his youki cloud, energy ball, or two headed dragon. She didn't respond to his call. Instead it seemed like she was trying to ignore him as she made a point to look out the window in the opposite direction. 'Kagome, please.'

She turned and looked at him, the anger melting from her eyes as she gazed at him. No one else would have sent the difference but she could. He looked vulnerable and nervous and most definitely sorry. She gave him a small smile, the sight of which washed away a great deal of his worry. 'It's alright. I promise. Just climb in and sit.' She watched as he did, moving slowly as if unsure of what would happen. When he was settled she reached out and took his hand. 'Now pull the door closed… lightly,' she added, not wanting his demon strength to damage her mother's car. That wouldn't be good or easy to explain. Once the door was closed she reached over and buckled his seat belt, not noticing her friends' odd looks. Their fingers interlocked and Kagome soothed him silently as her mother started the engine and pulled out of the driveway. She could feel the tension in his body and called her aura up around her before surrounding him in it, smiling as his back relaxed slowly and he eventually turned to look out the window, watching the world as they passed.

They sat together holding hands and looking out the window while they listened to her friends whisper behind them about how odd it was for Kagome to buckle his seatbelt for him. Ayumi thought it was sweet while Yuka found it demeaning, like she was being forced to serve him, not that she wouldn't be on her hands and knees scrubbing the floor with her own toothbrush if he told her to, which Eri was so kind to point out. It was true. Any one of them would be more than happy to play servant girl if it meant he would kiss them and touch them like he did Kagome. As much as they wanted to be happy for their friend, they couldn't help but be jealous as well. He did have the body of a god and the voice of one as well. What red-blooded female wouldn't want him?

It took only fifteen minutes to get to the mall and Kagome's mother pulled up alongside the sidewalk. "I'll be back here at two. Call me if you want me to come earlier or later, alright?" Kagome nodded and unbuckled Sesshoumaru's seatbelt and opening her door since it was facing the sidewalk. She slipped out and watched as her demon followed, looking quite relieved to be out of the noisy heap of metal. Her friends followed and once the door was closed they were waving as Hiromi pulled away.

"So, where do we want to go first?" Ayumi asked, nearly hopping up and down in her excitement.

Author's Notes: I can't post on A Single Spark because I changed my email and never got the email to verify it. So I'm waiting on an email from Winter to tell me what to do.

I'm going to work on my reviewer responses as soon as I finish posting. On my Live Journal you can find not only that but also a couple story recommendations.

http://sunsetmiko. sunsetmiko . livejournal . com (remove spaces)

To anyone who hasn't heard, there's a new award group, Dokuga, for Kagome/Sesshoumaru stories. I joined and just nominated my favorite story. This is their first awards quarter, so they're still accepting members for recommendations and voting too I think. Since I joined I figured I should help out with publicity so everyone should go join the yahoo group and nominate your favorite stories.

http://groups. groups . yahoo . com/ group /dokuga (remove spaces)

If the link doesn't show above, search yahoo groups for dokuga or check my LiveJournal Page for a link.


	69. Kagome's Secret

**Chapter 69 – Kagome's Secret**

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Author's Note: I just wanted to make it clear that one chapter does not equal one day. One day spans several chapters. For everyone who wants to know when they will mate, it has only been a week and 2 story days since he told her he was interested in her. It will be a while. And there is still a whole week in Kagome's time for exams. This chapter is on Sunday. Check my calendar on LiveJournal to get any idea of the timeline of the story so far. http://sunsetmiko. If you can't see the web address before, here it is again - http:// sunsetmiko . livejournal . com (remove the spaces)

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After a quick discussion about their desired destinations the group was walking into the mall through the doors that had opened for them automatically as they approached. Kagome silently explained them to Sesshoumaru, holding his hand as she watched him look around. The mall was huge, with two stories and just about any store you could want, all in one place. They'd decided on the first store the girls wanted to check for their desired party apparel and soon Sesshoumaru found himself once again surrounded by racks and racks of hanging clothing. The group had separated at the door as each set off looking for just the right outfit. He cringed slightly every time a girl in the store squealed over 'How adorable' or 'How cool' something they found was. He followed behind Kagome as she poked through the racks. She hadn't picked up anything when her friends rushed back over to her with their arms overflowing with items.

"Kagome! You haven't picked anything to try on yet?" Eri nearly shouted. Kagome shrugged her shoulders and soon found her self being dragged towards the dressing rooms, a few hangers thrust into her hands before she was shoved into the tiny mirrored room. She looked at the things they'd given her to try on and shook her head. Like Sesshoumaru would ever let anyone see her in something like that. Knowing they wouldn't let her hear the end of it if she didn't, Kagome let out a sigh and started changing. In a few minutes there was a rapid knocking on the door, followed by the voices of her friends ordering her to come out and let them see. Looking at herself in the mirror, Kagome wished her friends had a slightly more conservative taste in clothes.

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Once everyone had eaten and everything was cleaned up the group huddled together to prepare for their first tasks. Operation Separation was almost completely on Shippo so everyone was making sure he had everything he needed and knew what he was supposed to do. The little fox was nervous. Sure, he was pretty good at using his fox-magic to look like other people but he'd never actually used it to trick someone before, well besides Inuyasha of course . And he would be holding the illusion for a long time. He hoped he could do it because he didn't want to let his new brothers and sister down. This first part was important, as many of their other plans depended on this one being successful. Finally he decided that he was as ready as he could be and got started.

First Shippo transformed into Kagome. Then he used the miko trick she'd shown them at the palace, purifying all scents, even his own, off him. He knew that his scent would gradually come back but it was normal for Kagome to smell like him so it wouldn't make any difference. His illusion came complete with clothes so instead of putting on Kagome's dirty clothes, Inuyasha produced a sealed zipper bag of unwashed clothes that they hadn't touched, so Kagome's scent was the strongest, though there was a hint of Sesshoumaru. He handed the kitsune the sealed bag and they all stepped away, making sure not to taint his now clean scent with their own.

Shippo opened the bag and pulled out the first item. He rubbed the shirt all over his face and arms before covering his illusory clothing and his now long tan legs. Pulling the skirt out of the bag he repeated the process. When he was done he took in a deep breath and found himself calming considerably. He most definitely smelled like his Mama. Inuyasha came over and took a test sniff since a hint of his own scent on her would also be normal. A giant grin broke across his face as he nodded. If he didn't know any better he would be sure that Shippo **was** Kagome. The miko powers she had given him when they bonded gave him the final push he needed to be able to fully transform, meaning this Kagome didn't have a fox tail. Not only that, but the scent of her powers and the miko energy were present on him as well, maybe not as strong as they would be on her but they were pretty sure it would be more than enough to fool Kouga. Miroku called out to Shippo who turned and gave a very Kagome-like pose as the monk snapped his picture. Finally, preparations were over and it was time to truly start.

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Sesshoumaru had followed after them as they dragged Kagome away until he was told to 'Wait here', which was exactly what he was doing. He could feel Kagome's nervousness and hesitation as they tried to extricate her from behind the door they'd previously forced her through. Eventually the door creaked open slowly and she stepped into view. He couldn't decide whether to growl or pant and after a quick glace around and having spotted no other males he allowed his eyes to take a much slower perusal of his miko. The skirt she was wearing was even shorter than the little green scrap of fabric she usually pranced around in but was a dark blue and tight, made of the same material as the pants he'd worn the day before, 'jeans' he believed she called them. The shirt was skin tight, white with no sleeves but instead only string-like straps. Her breasts were pushed up and together, making a great deal of them visible. He wondered for a second if she had intended to do so or if she'd simply forgotten but he got his answer as her friends began their interrogation and she seemed surprised.

When she'd stepped out of the dressing room Kagome hadn't even thought about the fact that she was wearing a sleeveless low cut top, and so she'd forgotten to use the spell to hide her plethora of demon markings. She almost immediately realized her mistake as her friends began their questioning. It took her several minutes just to get them to stop talking long enough for her to start responding, and all the while Sesshoumaru was watching her with a smirk.

"Yes, they're tattoos. No, I didn't tell you about them. No, they didn't really hurt too badly. Yes, my mother knows about them. No, I haven't been trying to hide them. Yes, I know there are a lot of them. No, I will not tell you what they mean or why I picked them right now. We're in the middle of a store and if you three don't stop I'm going to have to pretend I don't know you. And you," she said as she turned and pointed at the still smirking demon. "Stop smirking at me, damn it! I know, alright!"

"Oh, wow! Higurashi! Didn't know you could look so good! All those illnesses sure gave you an awesome body! And the tats make you look even hotter!" Kagome turned to see who was talking to her, not even recognizing the boy, but recognizing the look in his eyes as he stared openly at her. Her arm shot out just in time to catch Sesshoumaru's wrist as he went to move past her and strangle the human who dared look at what was his, let alone speak to her in such a fashion.

"Guys, who is that?" Kagome asked without looking at her friends, instead focusing on holding onto her furious inu and trying to keep his attention on her.

"You don't know?" Eri gasped.

"That's Kyo. He's only one of the coolest guys in school," Yuka whispered.

"And he thinks you're hot!" Ayumi said dreamily.

"Whoop-di-fucking-do," Kagome muttered under her breath, causing her demon to relax a bit, smirking instead at the knowledge that his miko held absolutely no interest for this human boy.

The boy had been distracted from her for a moment by the large male moving towards him. Once he decided he wasn't a threat, Kyo returned his eyes to Kagome. "So, are you going to the party this Friday?"

"Yeah, but…"

"You need a ride? I'd be happy to pick you up." His tone said that he'd be happy to do a lot more than just pick her up and Kagome was **really** tempted to let Sesshoumaru shred the perv.

"No thanks. I'll be going with my boyfriend." As she spoke she pulled Sesshoumaru closer, the demon lord immediately responding, wrapping his arm around her possessively.

"I could use a ride," Eri said, sounding rather slutty, at least in Kagome's opinion as she frowned at her friend.

"Maybe some other time," Kyo said in a disinterested voice, shooting a glare at Sesshoumaru before turning and walking away.

"Jerk," Eri grumbled before turning around and grabbing something off a rack without even looking at it and locking herself in a dressing room.

Kagome followed suite once she decided it was safe to let Sesshoumaru go, going into her dressing room and changing back into her own clothes. As she began to arrange it she found herself loving the feeling as mini-mokomoko wrapped firmly around her waist, still reminding her of Sesshoumaru's warm embrace despite its much smaller than normal size.

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Shippo was making his way towards the clearing where the wolves had taken up camp, peeking over his shoulder every now and then, seeing everyone sneaking along behind him. Kouga and the other wolves would never be able to sense them as Rin was making good use of her more advanced miko powers by covering them in a barrier that hid their auras and scents. The nervous little fox parading as his miko mommy checked the direction of the wind before continuing. He placed himself where he knew the gently breeze would do its work and waited. He had to try **very** hard not to laugh as he felt the breeze pick up and he spotted the funnel cloud of whirling dust and debris rapidly approaching. Kouga had fallen right into his cute little paws.

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Kouga and his small group of companions had been sitting around the fire with nothing to do. They were bored, and everyone else was more than tired of Kouga's whining and complaining about **his** Kagome and how she should be with him instead of off gallivanting around with Lord Icicle. They were actually rather tempted to knock him upside the head with a log just to shut him up for a while. When they all caught the scent being carried to them on the breeze not one of them complained when Kouga disappeared without a word. At least they would have a few minutes of peace. Really, he was supposed to be their alpha but he was acting like a spoiled child who didn't get his way for the first time in his life. They all sighed in relief at the beautiful sound of silence.

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When he'd smelled her, for a second Kouga thought he was imagining things. The mutt had said she'd be gone for a week, but it had only been two days. He wasn't about to complain though, jumping to his feet and taking off at super speed, using the shards in his legs to their full potential. It smelled like she was alone and he wanted to make it to her before someone else did. It wouldn't be long before her friends sensed her presence as well.

When he finally spotted her his heart sped up. She was as beautiful as always and she was just standing there, the soft early summer breeze blowing through her hair, making the ebony strands dance around her perfect face. As he reached her it dawned on him. She was waiting for him! She wanted to see him! Why else would she stand upwind, knowing that her scent would be carried down into his camp? He knew she would have been able to sense the presence of his pack and himself. If his heart sped up anymore he was sure it would burst. His Kagome was basically calling him to her. It was a dream come true.

Shippo smiled prettily at the wolf that had emerged from the mini tornado to grasp his hands, just as he'd expected. Kouga always grabbed Kagome's hands, never giving her a chance to escape his annoying attentions. It was one of many of the things that bothered him about the wolf prince. He touched her without her permission, getting his nasty wolf scent all over her hands. Shippo realized he had to be careful. He had been becoming increasingly angry as he thought about Kouga and Kagome. If he had allowed any more of his concentration slip away from holding his illusion he would have lost it and popped back into his normal form. Sure, Kouga would be surprised, but that wasn't the plan, and if it happened now it would be very unlikely that Kouga would fall for it again.

"It's wonderful to see you, my beautiful Kagome," Kouga said, pulling one of her hands to his lips, planting a gentle kiss on her knuckles. "The mutt said you'd be away for a week! You came back to see me, didn't you? I should have expected so. Of course you would want to see your future mate."

Shippo wanted to gag as the wolf's chapped, scratchy lips touched him. Fighting back the urge to wretch he forced a smile. "Kouga! I'm so glad you came! I was hoping you would."

Kouga smirked arrogantly. "I knew you were waiting for me, my love."

"We have to hurry. We don't have much time before the others sense me nearby. I've been dying to have some time, just the two of us, so we can… talk." Shippo allowed the short pause just as Miroku had instructed and the smile that spread once more across 'Kagome's' face was genuine as he saw the look in Kouga's eyes. He was reacting just as they wanted him to.

"I won't let them get in our way. We can find a place where we can have some privacy," he said in a deeper tone, his eyebrows lifting to help get his true message across.

"I know the perfect place. Come with me!" 'Kagome' said before turning, the wolf still holding both of her hands.

Kouga was already excited at the thought of finally being alone with her, and seeing her so eager to take him to a place she'd already picked out only added fuel to the fire. He released one of her hands and walked quickly alongside her, every now and then glancing down to watch her perfectly toned legs moving beneath her tiny skirt.

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In the bushes, Hitoshi had his hand clamped over his mouth to stop the laughter dying to escape him. Everything was going perfectly. Miroku had managed to snap a couple quick pictures of Kouga accosting Kagome/Shippo. Shippo was playing her part expertly and Kouga was buying every second of it. When the two started to move in the direction of their planned destination the group picked themselves up off the ground where they'd hidden and followed, still completely shielded as Rin held the barrier effortlessly.

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Both Kagome and Sesshoumaru could hear as Eri complained softly to herself about how it wasn't fair that all they boys liked Kagome and no one ever asked her out. Her words made Kagome feel guilty even though it wasn't her fault. Eri was pretty too and she had no idea why no one asked her friend out. The girl's words bothered Sesshoumaru too but for a different reason. He didn't like the idea of multiple males being after his mate. It was bad enough he had that annoying wolf claiming her. He didn't need a group of pathetic human boys chasing after her as well. His thoughts were interrupted by Kagome as she came out of the dressing room in her own clothes. Their eyes met and each knew the other had heard everything. Hanging the much to revealing items on the rack by the dressing rooms, Kagome made her way to where her demon stood, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his chest, listening to his heart beat.

Yuka and Ayumi were unaware that Eri was so upset and were still chattering and comparing items, trying to come up with the perfect combination. When Eri came out of the dressing room in what had to be the ugliest sun dress ever made, the look on her face as she examined herself in the larger three paned mirror combined with the atrocity of the outfit, caused Yuka and Ayumi to burst out laughing and after a few moments Eri joined them. "I can't believe I picked this up. It's horrid," she said while twirling as if showing it off.

"Yeah, definitely **not** what we're looking for," Ayumi said between giggles. "Here, try this." She handed Eri a new outfit to try and she disappeared behind the door once again. This went on for another fifteen minutes, Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi trying things on and critiquing their choices. Kagome refused to try on anything else they selected, saying that she wanted to look elsewhere. Finally they were ready to move on, with only Yuka buying anything at all. The entire scene was repeated in two other stores, each of Kagome's friends picking out different things and Kagome still not finding anything she liked.

It was while they were on their way to the forth store that Kagome found herself being dragged off course and into another store, one she had definitely not intended to visit, especially not with Sesshoumaru along for the ride. She looked around with a sigh. _'Oh well,' _she thought. _'Too late now. He's seen it._' And he had. Sesshoumaru's eyes were everywhere as he tried but failed to look disinterested. The items in this particular store were much too interesting for that. He smirked at the blushing Kagome before joining the other girls in looking through the wide variety of items. The embarrassed miko watched from her spot just inside the door as her friends and Sesshoumaru browsed. _'I never thought I'd get to see __**the**__ Lord Sesshoumaru in Victoria's Secret,'_ she thought with a grin, wishing she had her camera. _'This might just be fun.'_

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Her camera was being put to good use as 'Kagome' led Kouga towards a cave a ways away from the village and their campsites. Miroku was having a great time as he snapped a shot of Kouga's hand coming around to rest on Kagome's **very** lower back. They almost gave themselves away with laughter as Kagome/Shippo squeaked in surprise when the wolf's hand dropped a bit lower and gave her ass a squeeze. The hentai monk was quick to get a picture of that as well; though he was certain Shippo would want it deleted permanently. He would certainly not to want to be reminded about being groped by the apparently very amorous Kouga.

Shippo wanted to strangle Kouga. Not only was he mortified that the thick-skulled wolf grabbed his ass, he was furious that the wolf would try something like that on Kagome, even if she was acting somewhat interested in him. He forced down both feelings as he focused his concentration on holding his illusion and getting them to their destination. Finally the cave was in sight and he accidentally let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully Kouga misinterpreted it.

Walking alongside her Kouga hadn't been able to resist placing his hand possessively on her lower back. When she failed to protest he decided to take it a step further and was glad he did. She didn't stop him as he caressed and gently squeezed her absolutely perfect ass. It was becoming difficult to walk normally and still hide the giant erection under his furs. He couldn't wait until they reached wherever it was she was taking him and apparently neither could she as she let out a sigh of relief when the cave came into sight. She was just as eager as he was!

'Kagome' pulled a very willing Kouga into the cave behind her. 'She' took him all the way to the back, where they'd already placed a blanket, laid out and waiting. Now was going to be the hardest part. Shippo wasn't sure if he could do it, but he was determined to try his hardest. "Kouga," he said in a teasing voice he'd been practicing with the monk for quite a while the previous afternoon. "Why don't you make yourself comfortable? I need a minute and then I'll be right back. You'll wait for me, won't you?"

Kouga nearly moaned as she spoke, the seduction in her tone flowing through his veins and making his erection throb painfully. He couldn't do anything but nod as he watched her skip out of the cave, her short skirt lifting slightly and giving him a peek at something red beneath. He immediately set to pulling the ties that held on his chest plate and dropped it to the ground. He loosened his furs, both giving himself the room he sorely needed and making it much easier to take them off for her. He laid himself on the blanket she'd so thoughtfully laid out for them. He reveled in the knowledge that she had been planning this, obviously if the blanket and other various items in the cave told him anything.

Shippo couldn't believe he'd actually done it! As soon as he crossed the entrance to the cave he rushed to the side so he couldn't be seen before dropping to her/his knees and panting. He glanced over his shoulder to see if it was done. When he was certain it was safe the tired little fox popped back into his much more comfortable form and lay flat on his back, staring at the puffy white clouds floating by and listening to the cheers of the others. It had gone perfectly, and after a short rest it would be time for part two of Operation Separation.

Once Shippo made it all the way out of the cave, Sango tossed a small package as far as she could into the darkness at the back where the wolf was. As it sailed through the air it opened, releasing a fine powder that immediately spread through the air. He never saw it coming. Kouga was unconscious where he lay. Now came the part no one really wanted to do. It had finally been delegated to Miroku since he'd been determined to go into the cave and get photos of the drugged wolf lying helpless on the cave floor. He grumbled but did his part, sneaking into the cave and taking a couple of pictures, not worrying about the flash since Kouga was dead to the world. 

He slipped the delicate camera into his robes securely before kneeling down and pulling the furs from Kouga's legs and, after tightly closing his eyes, the fur wrapped loosely around his waist. He tossed the needed items out of the cave and was on his way out when his curiosity got the best of him. The hentai monk turned around, his eyes widening in surprise as he caught sight of the incredible erection that still stood proudly, despite the wolf's unconscious state. Grumbling about how demons got all the luck, the monk left the cave, slapping sutras around the opening, not only to keep the wolf in when he finally woke but also to keep him safe from any who might come across him in his incredibly vulnerable state. They didn't want him to end up dead after all. Once the task was done, Shippo, still smelling a great deal like Kagome, had the job of stuffing the wolf's furs into a zipper bag, sealing it tightly before tossing it to Inuyasha to carry and perching himself on the hanyou's shoulder. He was tired, and his day wasn't even close to over.

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When he had first noticed the oddity of his miko's undergarments he had no idea. He had no idea that there would be such a wide variety of colors and styles. And then there were the little things that he imagined had to be for sleeping in, though how they were practical or comfortable was beyond him. Of course, the comfort of the things was the farthest thing from his mind as he picked up a black and red teddy. No, he was too busy imagining what his Kagome would look like in things like these.

"Oooohhh, do you like that one, Sesshoumaru?" Yuka asked him, seeing what he held up for inspection.

"Oh wow. What a choice!" Ayumi squealed. "Do you think she'd wear it for you?"

Sesshoumaru's thoughts were immediately overflowing with images of his miko in the item he held, wondering if she **would** wear it for him. Kagome had heard her friend's exclamations and finally forced herself away from the entrance and into the store to see just what it was that had caught his attention. When she saw it though, she wished she'd stayed where she was. In an instant she had snatched it from his hand and replaced it on the rack. "No, **she** would **not** wear it! Geez! Stop putting thoughts in his head! He's bad enough as it is!" Immediately after the words left her mouth Kagome was clapping her hand over it. Three sets of eyes widened in surprise at her outburst and Sesshoumaru merely smirked.

"Bad enough already, am I?" he asked in a seductive tone. "And why would you not wear this for this Sesshoumaru?" he asked while picking up the item she'd taken from him. "I find it quite intriguing."

"No. Just… no. Come on, why are we in this store anyway?" she asked her friends in a desperate attempt to escape. It wasn't that she wasn't curious about how she'd look in some of the things they sold here, or that she didn't want to see how he'd react, because she most definitely did. She was just mortified by the very presence of her friends while they looked at such intimate apparel. They didn't need to know what her underwear looked like and they most definitely didn't need to assist her or Sesshoumaru in the purchase of any lingerie!

"Because I need to buy a few bra and panty sets. Besides, **I** think Sesshoumaru wants to look around some more. Don't you Sesshoumaru?" Yuka asked him. With that said she grabbed the two other girls and dragged them away, leaving Kagome and Sesshoumaru alone, the demon lord still holding the item that sparked the discussion to begin with.

"Why would you not…" he started.

"It's not that," she hissed out, cutting him off. "I just don't think they need to know what we do in private! And they certainly don't need to help you pick things out!"

"Perhaps then you should assist me," he purred into her ear. "Is there something else you would prefer?"

She blushed but turned and walked to a different rack, poking through the wide selection of babydolls. She finally saw one that appealed to her and pulled it out. "What about this?" she asked It was dark red with black lace trim and embellishments, just like the one he'd picked up and was now putting down to better take in the new selection..

He looked it over, finding it even more intriguing than what he had selected. It had thin shoulder straps and would cover her breasts like most of her bras would but continued down almost like the white shirt she'd tried on at the first store, except that it was looser and open in the front starting from right under her breasts in the center so that her entire abdomen would be exposed. It would probably cover just to the top of her ass. He noticed that there were matching panties and much to his amusement it was a thong, something he'd been unable to get out of his mind since she'd shown him one yesterday.

He could only nod and Kagome giggled, noticing the growing tent in his pants. Looking at the tag she said, "It's called a Flyaway Babydoll. I like it. Do you like it?" she asked in a teasing tone.

"You know very well that I do," he said in a low voice as he pulled her against him, pressing the evidence of his appreciation for the item against her stomach.

"Mmmm, I guess so," she said, pulling away. "I might just have to buy it then." She turned around and walked away, leaving her incredibly aroused inu to follow behind obediently. He watched as she picked through the matching sets of undergarments similar to the one's he'd already seen while chatting with her friends, all the while holding on to the item he was now determined they would leave the store with. Using his incredible self control, a thing that he found meant absolutely nothing around Kagome; he managed to will away his erection before anyone else noticed it. Kagome was laughing inside as she purposely picked up the most revealing or most interesting looking bra and panty sets, holding them up for inspection knowing he was watching her like a hawk, or rather like a very hungry inu looking at lunch. She found a couple that she fell in love with and just had to get and as she surveyed the rest of the store inspiration struck her. Leaning close to whisper even though she knew he would hear she asked her friends to distract Sesshoumaru for a few minutes. They immediately obliged, dragging him away while he wondered just what she was up to.

Once she was alone she looked through the racks of lingerie, picking out a few surprises for her demon before rushing to the checkout to get everything hidden away in pretty pink bags. Even she was surprised by her boldness but she couldn't help but be turned on as she imagined how he would react when he saw her in her secret selections. Sure, she wouldn't get to wear them often but she'd make sure to take advantage of her time at home at the very least. As her thoughts wandered she found herself thinking that maybe they could find a reason to stop at the Western palace for a few nights. She might just have to bring her purchases along, just in case.

Sesshoumaru was torn between being frustrated at Kagome and at her friends for dragging him away and incredibly curious as to why she wanted privacy. Just what was his little tease of a miko up to now? He couldn't see her from the other side of the store where he was being held captive by giggling girls and he was hard pressed not to kill them just to stop the annoying noise. He could feel that she was excited, nervous but definitely enjoying whatever it was she was doing, and the scent of her arousal was unmistakable as it floated to him across the store. After a few minutes he could feel her approaching. When he could finally see her he was disappointed to see that she was no longer holding on to the little red and black thing.

She could see the disappointment in his eyes and smiled as she dismissed her friends to go make their purchases. When they were alone again she leaned against him. "Big bad demons don't pout," she said softly with a grin.

"This Sesshoumaru is most definitely not pouting."

"Yeah, sure. Like you're not disappointed? Don't worry. I bought it, along with a few other things that you'll have to wait to see."

His arm wound around her waist and his lips brushed her ear as he spoke. "This Sesshoumaru is definitely not pouting now. I am very much looking forward to seeing your selections." She moaned lowly as his tongue traced the shell of her ear before moving to kiss down her throat. "You are such a tease my little miko."

"And you love it," she said playfully, loving the feel of his body pressed against her and the kisses he was showering her with. She felt like the center of the universe, a universe that consisted of just her and her very attentive demon.

They stopped talking, both rather disappointed, when her friends approached, each carrying a medium sized pink bag. Taking in the sight of Kagome's two large bags, Eri said what they were all thinking. "Just what did you buy Kagome? Two big bags? I guess Sesshoumaru's gonna be a lucky guy."

Kagome blushed and shot her friend a glare. "None of your business."

"This Sesshoumaru is indeed lucky to have such a beauty as my own," Sesshoumaru said, causing three 'Awwwws'. Kagome turned around and leaned up on her toes to press a kiss to his lips.

"I think it's Kagome who's lucky. Not only is he hot, he's Prince Charming too!" Ayumi said dreamily.

"That's for sure," Yuka chimed in. "So where to next?"

"How about we go where we were supposed to be going before you dragged me in here!" Kagome and her friends laughed as they turned and headed back in the direction they'd been going before they were sidetracked.

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They'd made it back to camp and decided that it was not only time for a break but time for lunch as well. The boys, excluding Shippo, volunteered to hunt and Inuyasha went along, more to make sure they were safe than to help, as they did very well on their own. Rin and Shippo sat leaned up against a tree. Both their eyes were closed and Rin absently stroked the fur of Kazue, who'd taken up residence in her lap. They were both tired and both of them would be doing most of the work once again in the afternoon. The two drowsy children drifted slowly to sleep as they rested in the shade.

Miroku took the opportunity to show Sango the pictures he'd taken on the small screen on the back of the camera. She had to admit he was very good at taking photos. If he was in Kagome's time he could make a career as a 'photographer' as Kagome had described to them the last time she'd allowed the monk the use of her camera. Sure, there had been an exorbitant amount of pictures of a certain demon slayer's rear but the rest of the pictures were beautifully done and Kagome had been inspired to fill a photo album with his shots of the untouched nature of the feudal era and their group of friends. She'd printed all the photos at home to be safe, even blowing some of them up into eight by tens. She'd brought the album to show them all when it was finished and they'd all been in awe at the monk's surprising talent. No one but the monk and the miko knew that she printed a few of his favorite shots, not of Sango's ass but candid shots that really caught her natural beauty. He kept them hidden in the inner pockets of his robes, making sure to never let anyone catch him looking at them.

Sango had to threaten to smack him when Miroku began describing the final sight he had before leaving the cave. Really, she didn't want to know how big Kouga was **down there**! He held up his hands in defeat at her threats, chuckling as she blushed brightly. He thought she looked exceptionally beautiful when she blushed.

Finally the pups and Inuyasha returned and Sango was able to throw herself into preparing their lunch, doing her best to remove the images her Miroku had been so kind as to plant in her mind.

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Author's Note:

Kyo – Approval, ginger, or large. I'm going with approval since he definitely seemed to approve of Kagome.

Check out my LiveJournal to see the item Kagome purchased, the one he knows about. I will post pics of the others when they come up in the story.


	70. Fairytale Life

**Chapter 70 – Fairytale Life**

When they reached their destination and went inside Kagome seemed much more relaxed than she had been in the other stores. Looking around, Sesshoumaru found that he approved. The clothing here didn't look like something the girl they'd run into yesterday, Momoko, would wear but instead were more like the things he'd seen in Kagome's closet. He was pleased with the fact that Kagome didn't prefer very revealing clothes. He didn't think he could tell her not to wear something so instead he would have spent the entire time trying not to kill any male that laid eyes on her. At least with her in moderately tasteful clothing hopefully he and his beast could remain comfortable instead of constantly on edge. He watched as she looked through the racks of clothing, actually finding things she wished to try on here. When she had several outfits she made her way to the dressing room, Sesshoumaru following. He was pleasantly surprised that there were a few chairs outside the little changing rooms and he settled himself in for the wait.

After a few minutes she came out and he smiled. She looked nice in the wide legged jeans she'd selected, these ones decorated with little hearts and stars in sequins. She had on a pink top that matched the embellishments on the jeans and flared out a bit below her breasts. He watched her twirl in the mirror, the extra material of the shirt flowing nicely. She looked at him, wondering what he thought. "It is very nice," he told her. She disappeared back into the room to try on her next choice. This repeated a few times, her friends eventually finding things to try on as well. Finally she declared that she was done. She'd picked out a couple things even though she had only intended to find something for the party. She just couldn't resist.

As they approached the register Kagome looked up at him. "Now we have to look for something for you."

"This Sesshoumaru has clothing."

"This Kagome is aware," she said, mocking his tone. "This Kagome still desires to look. This Kagome didn't get to pick anything out for you. Maybe there's something special this Kagome would like to see this Sesshoumaru in."

He conceded defeat, knowing they would do what she wanted anyway. He wasn't necessarily enjoying himself but it wasn't so bad. There were people everywhere which was driving his senses crazy but Kagome seemed to be enjoying the time with her friends so he could deal with it for a while longer.

"Let's go to the food court first. It's lunch time and I'm hungry," Ayumi said. The rest of the girls nodded their agreement and it was decided that the food court would be their next destination.

Sesshoumaru soon found himself surrounded by the scents of the widest variety of foods he'd ever encountered in one place. "Are you hungry?" Kagome asked him as she scoped out the choices. He shook his head. Nothing floating around in the surrounding air smelled good to him. "Alright. Then you can sit at the table with the bags while we all get our food, okay?" He smirked as he nodded. Once she walked away he would get a chance to check out what she bought. Too bad she was a step ahead of him. "If you look in the bags then I won't wear them for you, so no sneaking a quick peek mister." She giggled as he sighed. They picked a table and he took a seat, watching the girls pile their bags on the other chairs. Kagome set hers next to his feet before skipping off to her fast food of choice. The temptation was incredible but he refused to peek. He wanted to see her in whatever she bought much more than he wanted to know just what it was. No matter what she picked out he was certain she would look amazing and he sure as hell didn't want to miss it.

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They allowed Rin and Shippo to sleep for a while longer before waking them to eat. When their two main players were rested and fed they moved into place to start part two of Operation Separation. Once again they moved in close to the wolves' camp. This time Shippo used his fox-magic to transform himself into Kouga. He purified himself of all scents before catching the bag Inuyasha tossed him. Opening it, he pulled out the furs Miroku had stripped from the unconscious wolf prince, rubbing them over his entire body, all the while declaring that he was going to need a **very** long bath when this was finished. He was also threatening Miroku that if he didn't stop taking pictures of him he would find himself buried beneath a mountain of acorns. Once he smelled enough like Kouga for their plan to work, with the residual scent of Kagome that had still been on Kouga's furs as the perfect finishing touch, Shippo worked up his nerve and walked right into Kouga's camp, making sure to look as arrogant as possible.

Everyone watched with fingers crossed as Shippo walked into the middle of the wolves' campsite as Kouga, hoping and praying that he could pull this off. They were once again hidden by Rin's barrier and Miroku, not at all worried about acorns at the moment, snapped several pictures of 'Kouga' surrounded by his pack.

There had been a groan of frustration when Kouga came walking back into camp. They had hoped he would be off chasing after Kagome for a lot longer than just a few hours. Now they were certain they would have to listen to him bitch again, probably even worse for being chased off instead of successfully bringing Kagome back with him. They were surprised but relieved as well at his words. "Get up. We're moving out, now." They all scrambled to their feet, grabbing what supplies they had and following after their leader who had already started walking in the opposite direction than he'd come from, away from where Kagome's pack was camped.

Shippo made sure to hold his head high as he walked, trying to make sure to stay ahead of them since he was supposed to be their alpha. He knew he was in for a long walk, as long as he could manage really. Without losing his concentration on his illusion, Shippo thought of what would come next. The fun would start once this was finished. Well, actually the work for everyone else started and then after that the fun would ensue. He continued to lead Kouga's pack away from where the wolf prince slept, an evil grin on his, well, Kouga's face. While tiring, this was still fun, and it was definitely helping him keep his mind off how long it would be until he had his Mama with him again.

They didn't know why they were moving or where they were going but they knew better than to ask. Kouga was rather sensitive and he absolutely hated when they questioned him. They didn't need to know that badly. They eventually fell into a comfortable rhythm, chatting amongst them selves as they walked, thankful that at the very least Kouga was moving at a pace they could keep up with. Those shards in his legs made traveling with him incredibly irritating and exhausting most of the time.

The group followed a ways behind 'Kouga' and the wolves, making sure to stay as quiet as possible while Rin kept them hidden. The plan at the moment was for Shippo to lead them as far away as he could manage. They would carry him back so he didn't need to worry about the return trip. They followed for hours, surprised that Shippo could hold his illusion for so long. Finally they saw the kit dressed as a wolf look around as if evaluating the area. Finally, they'd reached their destination.

"Alright. We stop here. Go ahead and set up camp. When you're done I want you two," he pointed at two of the wolf demons, "to go and hunt us up a feast, and I **mean** a **feast**! You, gather up enough wood to keep the fire going for at least three days. You, find a way to get us sake, lots of sake. And you two," he pointed at Ginta and Hakaku, "stay here and guard our campsite. I'm going to go and get our guest of honor. I'll be back in a while, and when I get here everything had better be ready!" At that 'Kouga' whirled on his heel and walked back the way they had come, eventually disappearing amongst the trees.

Apparently something important was going on and they most definitely didn't want to let their alpha down. Maybe Kouga really had succeeded in catching his desired mate. Thinking that Kagome must be their honored guest, the demons separated, heading in different directions to fulfill the tasks they had been assigned. Ginta and Hakaku counted themselves lucky. They didn't have to do anything but sit there while everyone else was going to be running themselves ragged meeting Kouga's demands. It wasn't often that they got such a break and they were going to enjoy it. Maybe being Kouga's right hand demons had its perks after all.

When he was sure he was far enough away, the exhausted Shippo popped back to normal, flopping flat on the ground and watching as his pack appeared from in the bushes. "You did great, runt," Inuyasha said before scooping the kit off the ground and setting him on his shoulder, making sure he was secure before he leapt into the trees, heading back to their camp. Now it was time for the real work to ensue. Miroku and Sango rode atop a transformed Kirara while Rin, Isamu, and Yuudai flew with Kazue in her battle form. The rest of the pups transformed into their true inu forms and raced after their uncle. When they made it back to camp Rin and Shippo were left with Jaken and Ah Un, the toad glad to finally be of use, while everyone else set out to put the rest of their plans into action. Operation Separation was a success. Now it was time for Operation Preparation.

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When he'd stopped by Kagome's house to check on her, Kagome's Grandfather had been so kind as to tell him that they were all at the mall. It had taken him a while to get there since he had to walk, and even longer to find them, but he had. Ever since he'd caught sight of them he'd been waiting for his chance to get Kagome alone. He had to warn her that whatever that thing was that it was definitely not human and it certainly was dangerous. He had to warn her. It was his responsibility to protect her and he would never forgive himself if that monster hurt his kind, sweet Kagome. She'd been glued to the thing's side for most of the morning, which irritated him greatly, but finally he had his chance. **It** was keeping watch over the bags while the girls got their food. He watched from the edge of the food court to see where Kagome was going. He couldn't let the monster or demon or whatever it was see him so he had to be careful.

As Kagome made her way to the WacDonald's, craving a milkshake and fries, he slipped carefully between the crowds of people in various lines, making his way towards her. She was second in line when he grabbed her and pulled her into the nearest service hallway between the lines of food counters. She let out a squeak of surprise at first but once she caught sight of him she wanted to scream. When they made it to the privacy of the hallway he let go of her and she immediately lifted her hand to rub her arm where he'd grabbed her. She was sure she'd have a bruise, and how in the hell was she going to explain that to Sesshoumaru in a way that wouldn't make him want to commit murder?

"Kagome! Kagome, I'm so glad you're alright! You are alright, right? He hasn't hurt you, has he? There's something I have to tell you." He was talking so rapidly she couldn't even begin to answer his questions, let alone ask him who the hell he thought he was dragging her off like that!

"What Hojo? What could be so important that you had to yank me out of line?" Her anger was more than apparent as she spoke but he missed it completely.

"He's not human, Kagome!" he hissed lowly, afraid someone else might hear. "I don't know what he is but he's not human. I'm sure of it!"

Kagome's anger calmed as her worry started. "Umm, who are you talking about?"

"That guy you're with! He's not human. He's a monster or a demon or something!"

She laughed nervously. "Hojo, that's ridiculous. What in the world made you think that?"

"It's not funny, Kagome!" Hojo said, his voice rising and he grabbed her upper arms and shook her in an attempt to make her understand. "He attacked me yesterday! His eyes turned red and he had fangs and claws and something dripped from his fingertips that melted the concrete! He's dangerous and he's after you!"

"Hojo! Let go of me! You're hurting me!" She didn't know what to do. Hojo had obviously lost his mind somewhere along the way, though seeing a real demon couldn't have helped his sanity. 'Sesshoumaru! Sesshoumaru, I need you! Hojo's here and he's scaring me!'

"You don't understand, Kagome! He told me that you're his. He told me to stay away from you but I can't do that. I couldn't leave you to that monster. I love you. Don't you see, Kagome? I love you, and I know you love me too! We're meant to be together and I won't let him stand in the way of our destiny. I'll take care of him, but you have to stay out of the way. I can't risk you getting hurt."

"Hojo, **Let Me Go!** I **don't** love **you**! I'm not meant to be with **you**! I'm meant to be with **him**! I **love Him!**"

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They all sat around the small pile of pinkish, almost purple shards that rested in the middle of their cave, having been placed there immediately upon their return. Kuroyuri hadn't wanted to touch them for long, knowing that they were both poisoned and spelled. After hours of discussion, they still didn't know how they were going to determine which was which. No one had touched them but her, giving an order to her children that they would keep their distance, especially Shinya. It was unknown how strong the spell was, and no one wanted her to get too close, just in case the shard would be drawn to its intended target. It had finally been decided that they would have to ask Kagura if she knew of a way to identify the genuine but spelled shard amongst the fakes.

They hadn't seen the wind demoness since the day before when she'd warned them of Naraku's intentions. They hoped that she was well, that Naraku had not taken his frustrations at not being able to distribute the shards as he wished out on her. Despite having been born of the evil hanyou, she had risked her very existence to save their precious Shinya from a terrible fate. They had expected a visit sometime in the morning but she'd never come near so they'd retreated to their cave in hopes of figuring out what to do.

The information Naraku had given them on his enemies; the inu hanyou, untrained miko, demon slayer, monk, firecat, and kit, was also discussed. They'd heard rumors about the inu hanyou, Inuyasha, of his amazing strength, powerful sword, and noble parentage. They knew that Lord Sesshoumaru didn't care for his brother but they knew better than to attack him as well, at least if they wanted to continue to have their heads attached to their bodies. Kuroyuri was old enough to remember how Inuyasha had been sealed and how Sesshoumaru had searched for a way to release his brother. They hadn't always been enemies and she wasn't so sure they really were now. Brothers would always be brothers, no matter what came between them.

The oddly dressed untrained young miko they'd also heard stories of, tales of her great compassion for human and demon alike. They'd even heard the rumors of her taking in as her own an orphaned kitsune, something that Naraku's information had pretty much verified. Tales of the traveling group had always been taken with a grain of salt as they seemed much too far-fetched to be possible but from what Naraku had told them, much of what they had heard and assumed false was indeed true as well. They had no interest in attacking the group, both because their sense of self-preservation told them it was a poor idea and because they did not wish to anger the Western Lord for being involved in the underhanded murder of his brother on his night of weakness. At least they had time, more than three weeks until the plan was to be put into action. They would just have to figure something out before then.

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Hiromi felt like she was everywhere at once. Sesshoumaru's idea had been a great one but it required a great deal of preparation in a short amount of time. She was taking advantage of the time alone to run a couple of the errands that had to be done immediately to ensure things would be ready in time. While Kagome was at school during the week, she and Sesshoumaru would have the opportunity to do some of the less time sensitive errands together. She was looking forward to spending some time with the demon who claimed her daughter's heart and who would protect her very soul. He was the strong silent type, she'd noted, and she was determined to get him talking if it took her all week. There were so many things she wanted to ask him, so much she wanted to know about him, his life, and his world, where her daughter would eventually stay.

She knew Kagome would end up staying in the past when her journey was finally at its end. Though the idea saddened her, she couldn't expect Kagome to walk away from all her friends, her new family. The children would be devastated without her and the demon lord would be no better. No, she couldn't ask her to stay here, not when she so obviously belonged there. It had been hard, watching as her daughter slowly changed, feeling more at home in the feudal era than in her own home, where she'd been born, took her first steps, said her first words, and so many more firsts. She had known it would happen though, so she'd been prepared and managed to take it in stride, making sure Kagome never saw her sadness. Her daughter didn't need to feel guilty about something she had no control over.

Once this week was over she knew Kagome would come home less and less often, for shorter periods. That's why this was such a perfect idea. Not only would Kagome be surprised, which was always fun, but it would be a way to make her departure a happy thing instead of a tearful separation. Kagome deserved it anyway. She worked so hard, not only in the past, but here as well, struggling to keep up with classes, fighting to pass exams, trying to hold on to friends she couldn't relate to anymore. Her destiny had made her life so difficult. Living in two worlds at once had to be exhausting, even without all the complications Kagome suffered through, especially Gramp's disease choices. She'd tried to tell her father that certain things were just not something he should claim Kagome had, either because it was embarrassing for her daughter or because it was incredibly unlikely for a girl her age to have it. He ignored her, enjoying looking through the medical dictionary he'd purchased just for that purpose, picking out whatever sounded good to him at the moment.

Hiromi smiled and shook her head. They wouldn't need excuses anymore. With Kagome marked as being educated at home things would be much easier, at least in that respect. Kagome's friends were sure to be upset when they found out she would no longer attend their school, even if she was barely there to begin with. Just one more reason she was so eager to make this perfect. Kagome deserved the best, and her daughter would be sure to get it.

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Sesshoumaru was sitting at the table watching Kagome when he suddenly lost sight of her. He could feel that she was surprised for a moment and then annoyed, but she didn't feel afraid or in any danger so he tried not to worry. There were so many people around that he could barely feel her aura, let alone pinpoint where she was. He looked up when Yuka pulled out her chair, moving her bags to the floor and sitting down.

"So, you're not hungry then?" she asked, trying to start some kind of conversation with the mostly silent sex god that Kagome had somehow scored.

Sesshoumaru merely shook his head, still trying to figure out where Kagome was, either by sight or feel. He didn't want her to think he was being overprotective so he decided not to call for her through their connection… at least not yet. Eri sat down next to Yuka and they started chatting. He tried to focus himself on their conversation in an attempt to not go running off to search for her. She was fine… though she was feeling oddly worried now. When she started to feel frightened he was on his feet, and when he heard her call for him he was gone, disappearing into the crowd and heading towards where he felt her as fast as he could without plowing over people or drawing too much attention to himself.

He was having a hard time finding her. He could sense her in a general direction but with so many humans around he couldn't pinpoint her. He was ready to kill the insolent human boy who dared cross him by coming anywhere near Kagome again after yesterday's little talk. He knew he was getting closer, but he was also getting closer to loosing full control over his beast. He couldn't let the beast out to punish Hojo as they both felt he deserved. All it would do, besides make him feel infinitely better, was cause trouble for them and he didn't want to cause trouble for Kagome. He probably already had by losing control enough to allow Hojo to see his demon characteristics. Finally he could feel exactly where she was and was moving in fast.

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Miroku made his way into the village with Sango to tell Kaede that they would be far too busy this afternoon for miko training. When they arrived at her hut they found her standing outside, looking at them as if she'd been anticipating their arrival.

"Please come inside. I have made us tea," Kaede said before disappearing behind the bamboo curtain that covered the entrance to her simple home. Sango and Miroku looked at each other in surprise for a moment before following her inside.

"Kaede," Sango started slowly. "Were you expecting us? How did you know we were coming?"

"As I have told ye before, there is much this old woman knows," she replied, not really answering the question she was asked at all. "Please, sit."

Sango and Miroku obeyed in a daze, unsure just what was going on here. Finally Miroku spoke. "Kaede, is there something you need? Or perhaps there is something you wish to share? I'm certain none of us gave the impression we would be visiting this afternoon."

Kaede looked her guests over with her one good eye before returning to her task of pouring the hot tea. When she'd finished and handed a cup to each of them, she sat back comfortably and sipped from her own cup. "Ye did not tell me ye would be coming, but ye had no need to do so."

"But then how did you know?" Sango asked, getting annoyed by the lack of answers Kaede was giving. Realizing her tone she lowered her head and took a slow sip of her tea in an attempt to regain her composure.

"Is there something ye need from this old woman or did ye merely come to inform me that ye will not have need of my lessons this day?" she asked, ignoring Sango's rudeness.

"No, we just came to tell you we wouldn't have time for miko training today. But how did you know we were…" Miroku began but was cut off.

"Very well. I have prepared rejuvenating teas for both Shippo and Rin, as I am certain both children are quite tired after their busy day." Putting her cup down carefully, Kaede rose, her old bones creaking and popping in protest. Both her guests watched in confusion as she retrieved two small satchels from her work table. She handed them both to the stunned silent monk. "The green is for Shippo, the purple for Rin. Steep them in boiling water for ten minutes before giving the tea to them. They should help both regain their youkai and miko energies more quickly." She gave them a scolding look before continuing. "Do ye really think it wise to play tricks on the wolf prince? If he comes to know who is responsible there may be more trouble than ye need at the moment."

"It was the kids' idea first. Then Inuyasha joined them. We're not planning anything terribly mean. This is more of a way to keep their minds off of missing Kagome while giving them the opportunity to get their revenge for his treatment of her."

"I understand your reasoning. It is not that which I question. When the wolf prince discovers who has been responsible for all that has and will happen to him he will be very displeased. Are ye prepared to defend if he chooses to attack in retaliation?"

Sango looked up, realizing that Kaede might just have a point. "We're pretty sure he wouldn't attack us, at least not if he doesn't want to anger Kagome. If he does so, I think we are more than strong enough together, even without Kagome and Lord Sesshoumaru, to defend against him."

"If he is so stupid as to attack us, it would only give Kagome another reason not to wish to mate him, though we all know she's made that decision already. I wouldn't be the slightest bit surprised if Kagome returns fully mated and the new Lady of the Western Lands," Miroku said with his signature hentai smirk firmly set in place.

"This old woman can tell ye that our Kagome will not yet be mated when she returns. The Western Lord is planning to follow the traditional inu courtship. This will take some time yet."

Miroku looked at Sango as she nodded. "I figured as much. I've never witnessed a demon courtship. When I was younger I was told stories about it but I am very interested to see just how accurate they were."

"Ye shall not be disappointed, my dear. Now, ye both should be returning to your camp. The others await you for your assistance. Make sure to give the toad demon the teas and ensure he knows they must boil for ten full minutes before it will be ready for the children before you go to assist in your preparations." Kaede, who had remained standing, gave them each a short bow as they left her home, still looking rather confused.

"That was odd," Sango murmured to Miroku.

"Yes, my love. I agree. There is more to Lady Kaede than any of us know, much more." Miroku settled his arm around her waist, pleased when her muscles relaxed once she determined he wasn't attempting to grope her ass… at least at the moment.

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"You don't know what you're saying Kagome! He's brainwashed you or something. I know you love me. I've always known which is why I've always been willing to wait until you were ready for a relationship. But I shouldn't have because that left you open to be taken advantage of by some kind of evil… thing! You don't have to be afraid anymore. I'll protect you." He let go of one of her arms and reached into his pocket, pulling something out and holding it at his side. Kagome didn't notice beyond the fact that his fingers had stopped digging into at least one of her arms. She was still trying to pull herself free from his other hand. She knew Sesshoumaru was close. She could find his aura easily as the only demon in a plethora of humans and thankfully it was coming right towards them.

She let out a sigh of relief as she saw him over Hojo's shoulder. Her relief was premature because as Hojo heard his footsteps he whirled around, pulling Kagome's back against his chest and holding her tightly around the waist with one arm while the other was held out in front of him. Only then did Kagome realize he was holding something and her heart dropped into her stomach. She wanted to slap him for being so horribly stupid but she was too afraid to move.

Sesshoumaru stood there in shock for a moment, not sure what to do, which was something that didn't often occur. In fact, it was possible that this was the first time he was ever actually frozen in place. He was afraid and angry and he didn't know how to fix it. The boy, Hojo, was holding Kagome close to his body, which while he didn't like it wasn't the bad part. No, it was what the boy was holding besides his precious miko that had him stuck.

Hojo backed up, dragging Kagome along with him as she attempted to dig in her heels to stop it. There was an employee entrance at the end of the hall and he was determined to make it there. He was hoping to push her out the door to safety so he could take care of the monster that was now blocking his other exit towards the crowded mall where he had hoped to disappear with her. He was going kill the monster or demon or whatever the hell it was, no matter what. While it wasn't very big, it was impressive enough to stop the beast. Hojo held the knife out towards Sesshoumaru as he continued to move slowly backwards. Once Kagome was safely out of the way, he was decided and determined that one of them was going to die in this hall, and it wasn't going to be him.

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Kagura wasn't having a good day. Once Naraku had finished his temper tantrum he realized that he needed to figure out what to do about the shard situation. He most certainly did not wish for one of the males to receive the special spelled shard, and he didn't want the mother either. She was past her prime and as such, past his interest. He wanted a fresh, innocent, young one to play with, not an old used up, not so fresh, and definitely not innocent one. Deciding he needed more information, Kagura had once again been sent after the witch. Apparently he now had questions to ask her about the spell that he hadn't thought important before. She'd been flying for hours, only to arrive at the very hidden home, if you could even call it that, of the witch and find it empty. She refused to return empty handed. That would not bode well for her. So instead she was stuck, waiting impatiently for the witch to return.

She hoped that she hadn't been summoned by another but instead merely was out to retrieve food or herbs, something that wouldn't take too long. She didn't want to sit here for days. The cave the witch called home smelled of the wrinkled old hag and a not so pleasing combination of herbs. If asked, she would have to say that the cave actually smelled worse than Naraku's castle full of stale air, dust, and rotting corpses of the previous inhabitants stashed away here and there. It wasn't at all pleasant, but rather extremely unpleasant, especially to her delicate nose that preferred the fresh smell of a gentle spring breeze or the absence of scents that could only be found at incredible altitudes where the air was much to thin for most beings to survive. Being the wind herself, Kagura had no problem breathing up so high that the clouds were below her, blocking the sight of the earth below. Sometimes she wished she could just keep going, flying higher and higher in the freshest air, where she could pretend there was nothing at all below the blanket of puffy white.

She let her mind wander as she waited. She needed to check in with the panthers and see what their plans were. She hadn't thought about it before but she realized now that they had the shards they needed to do something with them. She doubted very much they would discard them to possibly be picked up by another. They would have to figure out which was the real one out of the bunch. Then they could find a way to destroy the rest. The one that held the spell would have to be dealt with somehow, but she didn't know how just yet. Maybe they would want to find a way to remove the spell and then keep the shard for them selves, though how five demons would decide how to share one shard she didn't know. The mother would probably keep it for herself if she intended to keep it at all, as she seemed to be the one in control.

With Kikyo dead, there was only one Kagura knew of that would be able to pick out the real shard from the fakes. Kagome could do it, but she knew that they still didn't trust her. She would have to send the panthers to her pack and hope she would help them. The little miko would help anyone so she didn't imagine she would turn them away, though she may insist on purifying and keeping the shard. But then she did allow the idiot wolf to retain his shards. Maybe she would allow them to keep it if they so wished as well, as long as their intentions were good. To fight against Naraku was the best intention possible in Kagura's opinion.

It was decided then. When she could finally manage a trip to the panthers she would recommend they approach Kagome in regards to the shards. She hoped they would also be kind enough to share what the hell Naraku wanted them to do for him in the first place. Chances were good that it had something to do with the miko's pack and if she could, she wanted to warn them. Perhaps if she warned them enough times they would believe that she really did wish to aid them in the defeat of her master.

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"Hojo, you really don't want to do this. Just put the knife down and let me go," she said as calmly as she could. He was terrified, she could tell, but it only made the situation more dangerous rather than helping them. His hand was shaking as he held out the knife, staring at the monster or demon or whatever it was that he was here to slay.

"Kagome, don't you understand? I am your Prince Charming. I'm going to save you from the terrible dragon, or whatever the hell he's supposed to be. Then we'll ride off into the sunset together and live happily ever after. I promise you. 

Sesshoumaru looked at the boy in blatant confusion. What in the hell was wrong with this human's mind? 'Kagome, stay still. I need a moment to determine my course of action. Everything will be fine.'

'Just hurry it up, would ya? I'm a hell of a lot closer to that knife and a lot easier to hurt you know!'

'I will not let him hurt you. Do you trust me?'

'What the hell kind of question is that to ask me right now?' she nearly screeched in his mind.

'Calm down, please. I need you to trust me.'

Kagome sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm her racing heart. 'I do trust you. You should know that by now.'

"You need to let her go," was all Sesshoumaru said to Hojo.

"Like hell! If I let her go you'll grab her and take her away from me."

"Either you let her go or I will go through her to get to you. Her life is not of consequence. You made a mistake in challenging me. You will die. It is up to you whether she dies along with you or not." Sesshoumaru's voice was completely serious and as flat as he could manage, hoping to sound like this was nothing to him when in reality it was everything. The only thing that mattered to him right now was getting Kagome away from the crazy human boy.

Hojo's jaw dropped. "Yesterday you said you loved her! Yesterday you said she was yours. And now you say you'll kill her like it's nothing? Like she's nothing? You really are a monster!"

"And you are nothing but a weak, foolish human." Sesshoumaru allowed his eyes to bleed red and his marking become jagged. This time though he was sure not to allow his poison to drip to the ground. If his plan was to work, there could be absolutely no evidence to support the Hojo's claims of monsters and demons.

Kagome could feel Hojo begin to quake behind her, absolutely terrified of Sesshoumaru, who was looking much more demon than human at the moment. He actually looked on the brink of transforming. She could see his jaw bones shifting back and forth as his beast nearly succeeded in breaking free before he fought him back. She found herself looking from the knife Hojo held to Sesshoumaru to the knife and back, unable to decide where to focus. She was rather surprised to feel her fear receding as her anger began to grow. It was absolutely ridiculous. Sure, she'd never flat told him she wasn't interested but she certainly hadn't encouraged him! She didn't want to hurt his feelings but she tried to make it clear without having to embarrass him that she didn't want anything to do with him. She shouldn't have worried about his feelings. She should have ripped his heart out and stomped it into the dirt. Maybe then he wouldn't be so fucking stupid as to think that she loved him, that she was some damsel in distress. She had been just fucking fine waiting in line to order her food before this imbecile dragged her away. And god damn it, her arms hurt! She was sure to have finger marks in both arms now!

Sesshoumaru could feel her anger rising and was unsure who she was angry at. Surely she knew he didn't mean what he said. She knew he loved her. She said she trusted him. She couldn't be angry at him. And that meant she was angry at Hojo. He caught her eyes for a minute and knew he had to do something soon. Her normally ocean blue eyes looked almost purple as red swirled with the shining blue, mixing in her irises. She was changing again, like she had Friday night when his beast subdued her. He didn't want to ever do that again, let alone do it here, but he didn't know any other way to bring her back either. This needed to end, now.

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Miroku and Sango had returned to camp, having taken a short detour rather than returning directly, and explained the teas very carefully to Jaken before heading off to join the others in their tasks. They wouldn't be able to help as much as the boys since they were much weaker, but Miroku was needed to ensure everything that needed to be done was completed. Sango had a couple things to do, having gathered the few additional ingredients needed on their return from Kaede. Most of the things she had needed either she or Kagome had in the stocks of herbs each kept.

The pups all looked up from their task as the two finally returned. "Took ya long enough to say a couple words! Or was that not all you two were doing? We've got a limited amount of time to do this shit, you know! Now's not the time to be screwing around!"

"Oh just shut it, Inuyasha! Kaede wanted to talk to us for a minute, I had to pick a few things on the way back for my part, and we had to take the special teas Kaede made for Rin and Shippo back to camp. There was no 'screwing around'!"

"Damn, Sango! Bitchy much?"

Sango took two steps toward the hanyou before Miroku grabbed her wrist. "Ignore him, my dear. He is just jealous that he doesn't have anyone to 'screw around' with at this point in time." When Inuyasha didn't reply, Miroku looked towards his friend. Realizing that what he just said wasn't very nice at all, considering the death of Kikyo and the knowledge of her betrayal, as well as his previous confusion over his feelings for Kagome. "Inuyasha, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"K'eh, whatever. Let's just get this done. I'd like to finish before the fucking wolf wakes up and wants out of his little love nest. I can't wait to see how confused he is when he realizes he's naked and can't remember why." He blew it off, but in truth, the monk's words had hurt a little. He'd always expected to be alone before Kikyo, and he did again. As long as he had his pack he would be fine. So long as his Kagome was with him he would be happy, but having it pointed out so blatantly still managed to hit a nerve. He shook it off with a glance around him, remembering just how **not** alone he was now, and got back to work.

Akihiro had been watching the interaction of the adults in silence. Once he decided they were finished he had to ask. "Lady Kaede had teas prepared for Shippo and Rin?"

Miroku was thankful for the distraction, still feeling quite guilty for saying something so insensitive to his good friend. "She was actually waiting for us when we arrived, though she would not tell us how she knew. She was aware of the strain both Shippo and Rin put on them selves today. The teas are intended to help them replenish their youkai and miko energies. She was also aware of our plans for Kouga, and warned that he may react badly, possibly even attack, if he is able to determine who is responsible."

"She knew all that? But no one said anything!" Yuudai said in amazement.

"Kaede apparently has a lot of secrets," Sango said while crushing and combining herbs to make her special powders. There was some mumbling in awe amongst the pups before the clearing fell silent except for the sounds of their preparations.

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Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi had already finished eating and had no idea where Kagome and Sesshoumaru had disappeared to, though they had a few ideas. Deciding that they didn't want to wait around while Kagome was most likely making out or more with her boyfriend in a bathroom, they threw away their trash and gathered their bags, taking Kagome's as well, and made their way towards the next store they had been planning on visiting. They figured that Kagome would figure out where they went and meet them there. They left the food court and passed a live band that was playing in the center of the mall on a stage set up next to the giant fountain. They walked slowly to allow their apparently amorous friend to catch up and decided to pop into a music store they were passing to kill some time.

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Kagome was pissed. That's all she was aware of, that's all that mattered. She was pissed and Hojo was going to find out. "Hojo," she said in a low, threatening tone. "I suggest you let go of me or you are going to wish it was him you were dealing with. Let me go… NOW!"

"But Kagome, I'm only trying to keep you safe. I lo…" Hojo froze and his word got caught in his throat at the snarl that echoed in the hallway. It was so powerful he could swear he felt it vibrate through his body. His eyes locked on Sesshoumaru, only to see that he wasn't paying any attention to the boy with the knife. His eyes were locked on the girl in his arms. "Hey! Don't look at her! You should be worried about me!" Sesshoumaru ignored the foolish boy, focused only on Kagome. All hell was about to break loose, he was sure.

When another, even more vicious sounding snarl echoed around him and vibrated through him he had been looking directly at what he thought was the only dragon he had to slay. But the snarl hadn't come from him. It took a moment to dawn on Hojo, just where the snarl was coming from if it wasn't coming from the male in front of him. In an instant he pulled away from her. It all happened so fast he had no idea what followed. Kagome had still had her heels dug into the floor in an attempt to stop their slow backwards progression and when he'd let go of her so suddenly she found herself falling. There was a sharp pain on her cheek for a moment before everything went dark.


	71. A Disturbance in the Mall

**Chapter 71 – A Disturbance in the Mall**

Sesshoumaru hadn't made it in time to keep her head from bouncing off the hard tile floor, having been focused only on her and how she was changing before his eyes. He knelt next to her, looking up at the boy who had spilled her blood. As Hojo had pulled away from Kagome, the hand holding the knife passed her face, leaving a deep gash across her cheek starting near the corner of her mouth and ending dangerously close to her eye. He lifted her head gently, feeling in her hair for more blood and thankfully only finding a lump. Once he was certain she would be alright, though in serious pain for a while, he let out the snarl that had been rising up inside of him. Hojo trembled and his thoughts raced, evaluating his options. If he ran towards the exit he would end up outside alone, but if he made a break for it and rushed past where Kagome, or what he had thought was Kagome, lay unconscious and bleeding on the floor with her head cradled in the monster's hand, then he would come out in the food court where he might have a chance of disappearing in the crowd. At the very least someone else would see the thing chasing him. Then they would have to believe him. Seeing that his best chances lay inside the mall, he made a mad dash for the end of the hall where hundreds of people were milling around, the perfect place to disappear.

Sesshoumaru only watched as the boy ran past, not really caring at the moment what happened to him. Kagome was hurt, bleeding and unconscious. Hojo was of no consequence. He scooped Kagome up in his arms, careful to keep from touching her cheek since he didn't want to cause her any more pain. He looked down for a moment and found that thankfully her blood hadn't made it to the floor yet as it was busy soaking her hair and running down her neck, turning her once white shirt red with her blood. The sight and scent of so much of her blood was too much for him and he knew he couldn't take her back into the crowded mall. Besides, there was an incredible amount of screaming going on out there suddenly. Making sure he'd left nothing behind and seeing her purse still hanging loosely from her shoulder he made his way to the other end of the hall.

Sesshoumaru pushed through the door, blinking for a moment as the bright sunlight hit him. He looked around and saw nothing but a sea of cars in front of him. The demon extended his senses and made certain that there was no one around to see before he disappeared. He leapt onto the roof of the giant building easily; glad there was a lip around the edge so no one would be able to see them from the ground. He lowered her carefully to the ground before sitting beside her and pulling her into his lap. He closely inspected the cut, seeing that it was deep and would most definitely be in need of some type of closure to aide in healing. He looked through her purse for a minute, hoping he had some other option but there was nothing he could use. For a moment he was glad she was unconscious and hoped she would stay that way, at least for a little while longer.

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Souta was bored. He'd gone to his friend's house in hopes of playing video games together to pass the boring Sunday away, but the boy had apparently been grounded sometime between when they'd made their plans the night before and this morning when he showed up. Instead of being welcomed inside, Souta found himself being told, rather rudely in his opinion that his friend was not available to play and wouldn't be for some time to come. Whatever he'd done, his mother was still seriously pissed about it. He then went over a mental list of all his friends, trying to find someone to hang out with. Too bad that everyone was either busy with family outings or end of year group projects, which he'd finished over a week ago. No one else was available, at least no one he could stand. Souta refused to return to the shrine. If he did, he knew Gramps would insist he help out with chores around the grounds, all the while telling his long, boring tales. No, he wasn't ready to face that. This boredom was much preferable than one of suffering with his long winded grandfather.

He'd allowed his feet to carry him to the park a few blocks from his home. He'd frequented it when he was younger, always begging for his mother to take him to the play on the playground equipment. Kagome had often been the one to take him, whether she liked it or not, though she didn't complain much. Of course, their time together as siblings was cut down to nearly nothing once she'd been pulled through the well into the past. It wasn't fair. Sometimes he wished that he could go with her. She was actually doing something. Her battles were real ones that really meant something, unlike his battles that took place on a TV screen and meant nothing but points. He was sure he could help her if only he was allowed to go too. But the well wouldn't let him through. He'd tried more than once. She'd actually sent him to try to get Inuyasha once, when a possessed N'oh mask had broken its seals and was absorbing people left and right. It hadn't allowed him to pass, not then and not any of the other times he'd secretly sat on the edge and allowed himself to drop to the dry bottom.

The playground was deserted as he approached, taking a seat on a swing and allowing his feet to dangle, the distance between the soles of his shoes and the ground now just a scarce inch. She used to push him on this very swing, giving it her all as he laughed and cried out for her to send him higher. It felt like he could fly when she pushed him. His mother would never push him so high, always worried for the safety of her baby, and Gramps couldn't, as his old back was slightly hunched, even back then, a few years ago. Life really sucked at home now that his sister was gone most of the time. She wasn't around anymore to play video games, board games, cards; anything really. They used to love doing puzzles together. Their mother would buy them the hardest one she could find: a thousand pieces and a complicated image, like a picture of a pile of jelly beans. They would commandeer the dining room table for weeks at a time, forcing the family to eat at the smaller kitchen table or in the living room. Every evening, after dinner and homework, they would sit on either side of the table, sorting and searching until they were finished. 

He smiled as he remembered the hardest one they'd ever done. It was a pack of white dogs, running together against a snowy background. The only real color besides the slight changes in shading that defined the animals from their background was their eyes. He'd always wondered why their eyes were red. Dogs didn't have red eyes. They were usually brown, though he'd seen blue and gray in some, but never red. They had worked on it for a month and a half. Finally it was time to put in the last piece, an honor that they took turns in. It was his turn to snap the last piece into place and complete the picture, but when he reached into the box, it was empty. The puzzle that had taken them a month and a half and it was missing a piece! He remembered how Kagome had looked with him. They searched for that piece for days before finally giving in to the fact that it was gone. Maybe Bouyo ate it, or maybe it had fallen on the floor and gotten vacuumed up and eventually dumped in the trash, or maybe it had never been there at all. When he realized that they would never finish the puzzle he had burst into tears. She didn't laugh at him for crying about something so petty. She understood why he was so upset. Instead, she merely hugged him tight and told him that it didn't matter if the puzzle was missing a piece. All that mattered was the fun they'd had together.

And so they did like they had done for all their other puzzle achievements, very carefully gluing the entire thing to a piece of poster board, making sure it would never fall apart again. Some of them were hung on the walls, some sat in the shed, some in the backs of closets, but that one, the one that was never **really** finished, was hanging in a place of honor where it would never be forgotten. White dogs running through the snow graced the wall over the television, surrounded by family photos as if the dogs were just as much a part of the family as he or Kagome were. It served as a reminder that it didn't matter what they were doing or how it turned out. All that mattered was the time they spent together. The puzzle they had been working on for two weeks before she was pulled into the well was never finished either, not because there was a piece missing, but because there was a sister missing. He just didn't want to do it without her, instead taking apart the completed sections and boxing up the loose pieces before shoving the thing away in his closet. It was up high in the back where he'd never have to see it, so he'd never be reminded that his sister didn't have time for him anymore.

Souta heaved a sigh at his thoughts. It wasn't fair at all. They got her all to themselves, but she belonged here, with him! Her time was spent with her friends and Shippo, and now apparently more friends and more children. He found himself incredibly jealous of Shippo and the rest of the children. They got her love and attention. She played games with them. He didn't want to be jealous, felt terrible about it really, but he couldn't help it. Kagome had always filled a big part of the gaping hole in his heart where his father should have been, and now it was empty again. Sure, his mother and grandfather loved him and he loved them too, but it wasn't the same as his sister. His heart felt more and more hollow as time passed. The longer she was gone the harder it was. The more time that passed with that box sitting up on the top shelf of his closet, the harder it was to pretend it didn't matter. Even if he couldn't see it, it felt like the puzzle was mocking him, rubbing salt in the wound as it reminded him that Kagome didn't have any time for her little brother anymore, that puzzles weren't important to the miko who fought demons on a daily basis.

Deciding he didn't need to think about it anymore, since all it did was make him sad, Souta tried to cheer himself up. At least she'd promised to stay for his soccer game. She even promised to help him practice, something he was going to hold her to. Now if only they could work on that puzzle, but he knew she would never have that kind of time again.

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Hojo had run top speed down the hallway and out into the crowded food court, too terrified to think, not that his non-terrified thoughts had been very good recently either. If he had been able to think he might have slowed down, or maybe even put the blood covered knife away, but he wasn't. So he ran out into the crowd, crashing into people, shoving his way through and sending people to the floor. There was a shrill scream of "He's got a knife!" before all hell really did break loose. Nearly everyone started screaming and running away, trampling each other in the process as they tried to get away from the very crazy looking boy holding a knife that looked like he'd just killed somebody with.

The only ones who made their way towards the boy who had no idea what was going on or just what was happening around him were mall security guards. They called out to him several times, ordering him to drop the knife. Eventually he realized what was going on and did so, immediately finding himself tackled by a guard. He was handcuffed and then pulled roughly off the ground, looking up just as real police officers came running in to back up the guards who weren't allowed to carry guns. Finding the situation at least half handled, the cops took over, taking custody of the perpetrator and logging into evidence the bloody knife.

Hojo found himself sitting in the back of a police car, trying to figure out just how it had all happened. It wasn't his fault! He was just trying to protect her, to save her from the monster. Apparently he was too late, as his sweet innocent Kagome had become something else. The sound that she had made was terrifying, chilling him to the bone. He was certain that she was no longer the girl he knew but a monster like the thing he'd been trying to save her from. He needed to warn everyone. The whole school would be at risk if Kagome showed up for exams. He didn't know what had caused the change in her, but if there was even the slightest chance it was contagious he would have to stop it. He was the only one who knew, and he was the only one who could save everyone.

The police interviewed as many people as they could, trying to determine just what had happened. They had needed to call for several ambulances to treat the mall-goers that had been unfortunate enough to get knocked to the ground during the panic. There were a few bumps to the head, some small cuts bruises, but the worst of it were the woman who had broken her arm in her fall and the young boy who had been stepped on by several fleeing patrons. He was going to need some x-rays since his shirt showed multiple footprints and the paramedics suspected he might have a couple of broken ribs.

The police gathered up as many witnesses as they could find which was rather difficult since the food court had emptied rapidly as people fled from danger. Some people had returned to speak with the officers, and several employees who had been behind the food counters when the incident occurred were still around. Each gave the same basic statement that the boy had come running out of the service hall like a bat out of hell, slamming into people while holding a bloody knife. No one had noticed him before then. No one saw him go into the hall in the first place. No one knew him personally, so no one could help them figure out why he had a knife to begin with, let alone who he had attacked. It was assumed that he had attacked someone, being that the knife they'd recovered was absolutely covered in blood, but none of the injured had suffered a knife wound. The witness statements led them down the service hall, but they found no evidence of a struggle of any kind. There was no blood, no injured person, nothing to explain his actions.

Eventually they decided that had all they were going to get and hoped that the boy could explain himself and tell them where the blood came from when they interrogated him. Once everyone had been treated or taken to the hospital and all statements had been taken the officers left the mall, taking their suspect in to be booked and questioned. The mall employees were left to clean up the disaster area that had been left in the wake of the panicked crowd. Tables and chairs were knocked over, food, drinks, and trash covered the ground. There were even some purses and shopping bags that had been forgotten during the mass exodus. Any belongings were taken to the main office to be retrieved by the rightful owners once they were remembered once again. The entire food court was roped off for the day for the clean up attempt, but the rest of the stores and shoppers continued on as if nothing had happened at all.

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Sesshoumaru ignored the wail of sirens as he focused only on what he was doing. He really wished he had another option but right now he had to close the wound and stop the bleeding. He held her head steady with one hand, making sure that the hold was gentle but firm as well, just in case she came to while he was doing this. He closed his eyes for a moment and attempted to calm down before calling up his poison, releasing a small amount only from the claw that tipped his pointer finger. He trailed the claw through the wound, the tiny amount of his corrosive poison cauterizing the wound and sealing the edges together. It looked a little better. At least it wasn't pouring out blood anymore and he couldn't see all the muscles and tendons of her jaw.

He set himself to his next task, trailing his tongue first over the newly closed wound, removing any excess poison and neutralizing what remained to keep it from spreading through her body. He moved slowly over her face, removing any trace of blood. He couldn't do much with her hair and he grimaced as he tried to run his fingers through her dark locks and found them completely matted with blood. He didn't know what to do now. He couldn't take her back inside unconscious and blood stained, but he had no idea how long it would be until her mother returned to pick them up and he had no idea how to return to the shrine himself. He didn't know if he could trust her friends with this even if he could find them. And he refused to leave her alone. He resigned himself to the fact that he would have to wait for her to wake and hope she had some idea of what to do next.

He busied himself and kept his beast calm by continuing to lick the line that marred her beautiful face between cleaning the drying blood from her throat, arms, and anywhere else he could reach. When she woke up she was going to be in a hell of a lot of pain but she was still alive. Her heartbeat was still strong despite the loss of blood, though she looked a bit more pale than usual. As he did his best to help her wound heal he once again began blaming himself. He couldn't help but think that he could have avoided this if he'd just done something! Now she was going to be in pain for a long time and there was no way she would ever trust him again. He let her get hurt after he promised her everything would be okay. He let someone hurt her after he swore he would protect her. He had failed her… again.

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Momoko sat in her bathroom, staring at the white stick she held in her hand, in shock. He was right. She was pregnant. "What the hell am I going to do?" she asked herself aloud. She couldn't tell her mother, and her father had left years ago. No, her mother would never forgive her for this. She already felt like a disappointment. Her grades were never good enough. Her mother never had any time to spend with her only child. All she did was work. Even when she was home all she focused on was her work. She might as well not even exist in her mother's eyes. No, she didn't need to give her another reason to be disappointed in her daughter, another obvious failure. But what else could she do? She had no idea who the father would be, not even the slightest clue. She'd never been exactly regular so she had no idea when she would have gotten pregnant.

She needed to go to the doctor, but she couldn't see her normal physician. They would tell her mother. No, she had to handle this on her own. She remembered then the clinic downtown. They were supposed to be confidential. They wouldn't call her mother. That way she could get a blood test to be certain. Maybe they could even tell her when she would have conceived, helping her narrow down the possibilities. It was decided then. Tomorrow after school she would stop at the clinic and see what they could do for her. Once she was 100 percent certain she was pregnant and at least had some idea who the father was she would figure out what to do. She couldn't very well keep a thing like this hidden from her mother, even if her mother barely looked at her. The teachers at school would notice eventually and call her. Then she wouldn't be able to miss it. Somehow she would have to find a way to tell her mother and just hope she didn't hate her for it.

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Her slight whimper drew his attention back to her eyes. They were still closed, but now they were scrunched down, showing her discomfort. He watched as she started to open her mouth, only to whimper again and press her lips tightly together. 'What happened?' she asked him silently, knowing immediately who held her.

'This Sesshoumaru failed to protect you once again.'

'Sesshoumaru, first off, that **so** doesn't answer my question. Second, Hojo being fucking insane isn't your fault. How could you have stopped this? Now just tell me why my fucking face hurts!'

He sucked in a breath before answering, this time aloud. "You snarled and apparently frightened the boy. He pulled back away from you and you fell, the knife cutting your cheek. The wound is long and was deep, so this Sesshoumaru was forced to close it to stop the bleeding."

'How?' she asked, opening her eyes to look at him, seeing the guilt and pain in his eyes.

"I used my poison to seal the wound. Are you in a lot of pain?" he asked, already knowing she was. He watched as she lifted a hand to her cheek, the pink glow sending a wave of warmth through his body. When her hand pulled away his eyes widened, seeing her cheek flawless once more. He'd completely forgotten she could heal herself.

"I'm fine," she said, finally able to open her mouth now that the pain was gone. She looked around, trying to figure out where they were."

He could see the question in her eyes as she examined their surroundings. "We are on the roof of the 'mall'. This Sesshoumaru is unsure what to do now. We cannot go back inside with your clothes and hair caked in blood."

Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, feeling his incredible guilt, even more so than the last time when she'd been bitten by the snake. "It's not your fault. I don't blame you. Where did Hojo go?"

"He went back towards the food area. There was quite a lot of screaming once I could no longer see him, but this Sesshoumaru is unsure as to why." He paused for a moment. "This Sesshoumaru promised to protect you, to not allow you to be injured, and yet you were once again. I failed to protect you from a human boy. If I failed to keep you safe from one so weak, then how can I be trusted to protect you from the dangers we will face on our journey?"

"Sesshoumaru, I'm going to get hurt every now and then. You can't protect me from everything. You can't be around me every second of the day. You need to relax. I'm fine now, no more pain. Is it gone?"

"Your face is flawless once again," he said, his voice still overflowing with self-deprecation.

"Then it doesn't matter. I still trust you. I will always trust you. Sure, I never expected to get hurt here in my time, but it happens. It's not your fault Hojo lost his mind. In your time just being in your presence keeps me safe from almost everyone. Gimme a minute and I'll figure out what to do. Oh! Do you know where my purse is," she asked while feeling her shoulder for the missing strap. He reached beside them and picked it up, handing it to her in silence. She dug around inside for a moment before saying a triumphant "Ah-Ha!" and pulling out something bright pink that he'd never seen before. "I've got it." He watched as she flipped the pink thing open and listened to the sound of small beeps as she pushed buttons. When she held it to her head he lifted a brow at her.

Ayumi was still poking through CDs in the music store when her cell phone began to ring. Pulling it out, she checked the caller ID, grinning at what she saw. "Looks like Kagome's finally looking for us," she said before flipping it open and answering the call. "Hey Kagome. Where have you two been?"

"Ayumi! You won't believe what happened to me." Sesshoumaru looked at her in surprise. Was she really planning on telling them what had happened? "I was in the line to WacDonald's and I slipped in a puddle of milkshake someone dropped and didn't say anything about. Sesshoumaru saw me fall and came to help me. I hit my head and I'm absolutely covered in chocolate milkshake. Where are you guys? Are you still in the food court?"

"No, we didn't want to wait so we're in a music store. We've got your bags. What do you want me to do?"

"Can you just grab one of the shirts I bought and meet Sesshoumaru? He can bring it to me and I can change. I've gotta rinse out my hair. It's sticky and disgusting. I'm going to be waiting in the bathroom."

"Yeah, sure Kagome. Where does he want to meet us?"

"Well, he's never been to this mall before, so how about the big fountain in the middle? It should be easy for him to find."

"Sure thing. We'll be there in a couple minutes."

"Thanks so much, Ayumi. I owe you one."

"Yeah, well I'll keep that in mind. Bye!"

"Bye," Kagome said before snapping her phone closed once more. "Alright, we'll go inside and find the closest bathroom and then you are gonna go get a shirt from the girls." He nodded and she pressed another short kiss to his lips before standing up, her taiyoukai following her lead. Looking around, Kagome spotted a door on the roof and decided to try it first, hoping they wouldn't have to risk being seen jumping off the roof of the two story building to the sidewalk below. She tried to turn the knob but found it locked and let out a sigh. Once her hand had dropped to her side, Sesshoumaru grabbed the handle and turned it, his strength breaking the lock and opening the door for them.

The two immediately entered and started down the stairs, hoping to find a bathroom somewhere soon so no one would see the bloodstained Kagome. Once they found one she gave him directions to the fountain and locked herself in the large handicapped stall. She picked it because it had a sink inside the stall, so no one would walk in and catch her washing blood out of her hair. She set to work, grimacing as she watched the water running through her hair. It started crystal clear and ended blood red. Sesshoumaru was following Kagome's directions and soon found the fountain, relieved to see her friends waiting.

When they saw him, Ayumi dug in one of the bags, producing a conveniently red shirt and handing it to him. "Is she alright? I mean, besides being stained and sticky? She said she hit her head."

Accepting the shirt, he wanted to rush back to her, not comfortable leaving her alone so soon after her injury. He had to answer though. He couldn't be rude to her friends. "Kagome is fine. She merely has a small lump on the back of her head. Nothing serious. She is more uncomfortable than anything."

"Oh, well then we shouldn't keep you. Tell her we'll wait here for you guys." He nodded and disappeared into the crowd, making his way back to where he'd left his precious miko.

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Kagome's grandfather was alone, manning the shrine, giving tours and selling trinkets. All the while he thought about his granddaughter. So much still awaited her. She had so much still to do at her young age. She was going to be seventeen soon. He'd spent the first fifteen years of her life with her every single day, and even though he'd gotten used to her being gone, that didn't mean he was ready to let her go. She was still that sweet little girl with bright blue eyes full of wonder at the world around her. She still had the same beautiful laugh that escaped her smiling lips so easily. Her hair was longer, but it had always been the same midnight black with hints of blue. She was still the little girl that ran and played on the shrine grounds, always smiling and laughing, always happy. Even after her father left and she was told he died, Kagome was still happy. She missed her daddy, like any little girl would, but she didn't let the sadness overwhelm her.

She was still as loving and trusting as she had always been, despite all the terrible things she'd witnessed during her time in the feudal era. The violence and hatred between species could never reach her. She would never judge anyone, human or demon, based solely on their species or appearance. She cared about everyone equally, would help anyone in need. He had always been afraid the darkness of the time would touch her heart, tainting her outlook on the world, but she stayed strong. She cared for demons, hanyou, and humans alike. She understood that just as not every human is good, not all demons are evil. Her very soul cried out for those injured by hatred, by the fear of the unknown and misunderstood.

When she'd first begun to understand Inuyasha, really understand him, she'd come home and cried for days. She cried herself to sleep, letting her tears fall as she knew he never could. It hurt her so deeply to know that someone she knew, someone she loved, was so alone, had such a hard childhood and experienced such hatred. She couldn't take back his pain, but she tried to find a way to make it stop. She did everything she could to convince her friend that it didn't matter to her **what** he was; only **who** he was, and eventually it started to sink in. Over the two years the half demon had been coming to her time and visiting with the family, he had noticed a very gradual but steady change in Inuyasha. He held more confidence. He didn't seem as harsh as he let his outer shell, his defense mechanism, fall in their presence. The hanyou finally had a home. He was so proud of his granddaughter. Not only had she changed the entire world for Inuyasha, just by affecting the way he saw himself, but now she'd brought his true family back to him.

He smiled to himself as he watched a little girl break into a run from her mother, making her way to the bottom of the God Tree, the tree that connected the two times, the tree that had given the wood for the Bone Eater's Well and made not only Kagome's fate but Kagome and Souta's lives possible. She stood beneath the tall Tree of Ages, looking straight up into the branches and laughing as she jumped up and down, like she was trying to touch the leaves that hung so high over her head. Her mother caught up with her and swept the little one into her arms, laughing along with her. The tree always had that affect on people. It seemed to lift the weight of the world from your shoulders while you stood in its shadow. Kagome had always loved to sit under the tree, to read or write, to think, or just to sit and stare at the sky through the branches.

The tree still bore the scar on the bark left behind where Inuyasha had been pinned for fifty years. It stood as a testament to strength and the ability to survive, as not only had Inuyasha survived and been released, but the tree itself had lived for five hundred more years to modern times. The tree had been around for at least five hundred years before Kagome released the hanyou from the spell the held him suspended in time, and it would stand for another five hundred years easily, safe and protected from human advancements here on the shrine. Just as the tree protected the shrine, the shrine protected the tree. They would never allow it to be cut down in the name of progress. The shrine would stand guard around it, even if skyscrapers grew up around them. The old man let out a sigh before turning away from the tree. He needed to focus on what he was doing, not letting his mind wander five hundred year in both directions. He shook his head and moved towards a small group of what appeared to be tourists, ready to offer a tour and tell them about the great history of the Higurashi Shrine.

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Sesshoumaru was lucky no one saw him as he slipped back into the women's restroom with the new shirt he'd retrieved from her friends. He tapped on the door of the stall he knew she was in and waited, hearing water dripping to the floor. He heard her footsteps before the lock clicked and the door swung open for him. His eyes slid over her body, tracing her very visible curves. She'd taken off the shirt and rinsed it out as best she could before using it as a wash cloth to remove the blood that remained caked on her skin. She still wore her bra, which he noticed as also stained with blood, though it had dried. It couldn't be comfortable.

"Hey, will you do my back? I know there's some back there. I just can't reach it." He nodded before accepting the balled up shirt, which might as well have been relegated to rag status. The blood was never going to come out.

She turned around and he looked at her back. She was right. There were still sections of dried blood, though he could see the areas she'd managed to get on her own. He couldn't help himself. He leaned down and dragged his hot tongue along the dark red splotches marring her beautiful skin. His right arm slipped around her waist, his hand splaying across the plains of her stomach while his other hand popped open the clasp on her bra.

"Sesshoumaru! I can't rinse that out right now. It'll be too wet to put back on. I'm just gonna have to leave it like it is."

He paused in his tongue bath from a moment to speak, moving both hands to slide the straps down her arms, removing it from her body entirely. "Or you could simply not wear it."

"I can't walk around the mall without a bra on!" she nearly screeched.

Her only reply was an "Hn," before she once again felt his tongue sliding along her back. This time his hands slid up around her body each covering a now bare breast. He smirked a little, or at least as much of a smirk as he could manage with his tongue out and trailing along her skin, taking in all the blood he could find. In his hands her nipples hardened to tight little peaks as he massaged her perfect breasts. Her skin tasted just as amazing as her blood, and soon he found himself covering areas that were clean of any remaining blood, just to taste her skin.

Kagome couldn't help the little moan that escaped her. It just felt too good. Soon though she remembered that her friends were waiting for them and just where they were. She needed to stop him. "Sesshoumaru… Mmmm… Damn it! Sesshoumaru, stop. We have to get back to my friends and I am not doing this in a public restroom." She heard his growl of frustration but felt as his hands slipped reluctantly from her body.

"Turn around," he said, his voice full of heat.

"Only if you promise to keep your hands to yourself," she replied.

Another "Hn," was heard before she turned to face him. The sight of her perky breasts, tipped with tight pink peaks and covered in dried blood had him bending once again, his lips wrapping around a nipple and sucking lightly as his tongue flicked over the very tip. He felt her fingers wrap tightly in his hair as she moaned again and he smirked mentally. There was no way she would stop him now. Releasing her nipple he began dragging his tongue across the soft sweet skin of her breasts, removing any trace of remaining blood. Her fingers tightened every now and then in his hair, the light pain on his scalp causing him to moan along with her. As much as he wished to continue, he agreed that this was certainly neither the time nor the place for such enjoyable activities. Once he finished cleaning the last drop of blood from her delicious flesh he gave a teasing kiss to each nipple before pulling away, feeling her fingers slipping through his long silver strands. She let out a sigh, wishing they were somewhere else or at least that no one was waiting for them.

He held her bra in his hand and when she reached for it he pulled his hand away before stuffing the small covering into a pocket. "Give it back! I need to put it on!"

"You have no need of it. Here," he said as he held out the shirt he had retrieved from her human friends. "Shall we go?"

Kagome let out a frustrated sigh but pulled the shirt over her head. She looked at herself in the mirror, seeing her still tight peaks pushing quite visibly against the thin red fabric. "See? I can't walk around like this!"

"This Sesshoumaru is rather enjoying the view."

"I'll bet you are, but do you want every guy in the mall enjoying it too?" She heard his low growl and thought she'd won, but he still refused to release her bra from his captivity. She let out a sigh and shrugged her shoulders before pulling her brush through her damp raven locks. She'd wrung as much water as possible from them, and with a few minutes of brushing it was dry enough to lay neatly over her shoulders, hiding her obvious lack of a bra. She balled up the ruined shirt and stuffed it into the bottom of her purse before replacing her brush and throwing the bag over her shoulder. "Come on. Let's go before they come looking for us."

"They said they would await our return near the fountain," he said before wrapping and arm around her waist and pulling her tightly to his side. They left the bathroom, still incredibly lucky to have not run into any other patrons, and made their way to where her friends waited for them. Kagome refused to let Hojo ruin her day. She had plans and she was determined to keep them.

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Hojo found himself sitting alone in a room with nothing but a table, the chair he sat in, and two others on the opposite side. He'd been fingerprinted and photographed and they'd demanded his name and personal information, saying that they would contact his parents. Now all he could do was wait. Apparently they couldn't question him without a parent's permission since he was under eighteen. He sat and stared at himself in the mirror, trying to collect his thoughts. Everything that had happened since yesterday morning swirled through his mind. It was overwhelming. He didn't know what to do. He was the only one who knew about the monster, or monsters as it now seemed. He had to make them understand the danger.

The officer watched Hojo as he sat mumbling to himself. His parents were on the way and soon they would get the chance to find out what the hell the boy was thinking, running through a crowded mall with a blood covered knife. And they really needed to find out whose blood it was to begin with. He had a feeling that something was seriously wrong with the kid. Besides the fact that he was muttering to himself about monsters and demons and Prince Charming among other things, the boy had this look in his eyes. It sent a shiver down his spine just watching him. There was definitely something off about Hojo, and he was determined to find out what it was.

There was a knock on the door before it opened and another officer poked his head inside. "His parents are here."

He nodded. "I'll be there in a moment." The second officer nodded in return and left, closing the door behind him. "Well, let's see if they can tell me what their son was doing with a knife in the mall. I'm sure this is going to be interesting." He gathered his papers together and walked out of the observation room to the office where the suspect's parents were waiting. He was ready for answers.

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Author's Note: I'm a bad, bad author. I still haven't done my reviewer responses. Please don't think I don't care. It's just that I've been writing like crazy and I'm afraid if I stop and focus on something else I'll lose my flow.

Oh, and I'm also bad because I'm starting to work on another story even though I said I wouldn't. I doubt I'll be posting any of it for a while yet but it's an AU for anyone who's curious.

Maybe Sesshoumaru will come and spank me? No? Well, a girl can dream, can't she? (my husband is so going to growl at me when he reads that. Amazingly he's actually reading my story now, though he's got a bit of catching up to do, so I'm safe, at least for a while)


	72. Busy Afternoon

**Chapter 72 – Busy afternoon**

Kagome's three friends gave her odd looks as she and Sesshoumaru approached where they waited next to the fountain. "Hey guys! Sorry to keep you waiting. I had to rinse out my hair. I swear there was milkshake everywhere!" Sesshoumaru had yet to release her from his hold, instead walking at her side, her small body held firmly against his larger one.

"I've never seen you wear your hair like that, Kagome," Yuka said suspiciously.

Kagome blushed a bit and shot a glare up at Sesshoumaru. "It's kinda necessary." Kagome leaned in and whispered, "I had to take off my bra and I don't want everyone to know." All three girls burst into giggles at their friend's expense. "Gee, thanks for caring," she muttered under her breath.

It was Ayumi who noticed Kagome's less than pleased look. "Oh, Kagome, I'm sorry. We're sorry. It must have been embarrassing, slipping and falling and being covered with milkshake. You're lucky you didn't break an arm or leg. Does your head hurt?" the girl asked compassionately, thoroughly regretting laughing at her friend. Yuka and Eri caught on quickly and offered their apologies as well.

"Nah, it's just a bump. Come on now, let's go. I wanna pick out something for Sesshoumaru to wear before Mom shows up." The others agreed and after handing over Kagome's bags, which Sesshoumaru insisted on carrying, the group was on its way as if nothing had happened at all.

When they reached their destination Sesshoumaru's eyes widened, taking in the racks of clothing. Did she intend for him to wear something from this store? The pants he could see were much different than the jeans or the cargos he'd worn.

Kagome caught the look in his eyes and grinned. Walking up and wrapping her arms around him, pressing her breasts against his firm chest, she looked up into his eyes as he looked down into hers. "I'm going with the whole bad boy look. I really want to see you in some of these," she said while reaching out one hand and brushing her fingertips across the odd looking pants hanging from the rack to her right.

He was about to protest, ready to refuse to wear such things, when the scent of her arousal hit his nose. 'The very thought of this Sesshoumaru in clothing like these arouses you, my little miko?' She blushed and nodded slightly before starting to pull away. His arm wrapped around her waist to hold her close to him and prevent any escape. 'Then I suppose it would be acceptable. But you will have to help this Sesshoumaru if you expect me to try anything on here.'

She smirked up at him. 'I was planning on it,' was all she said before slipping from his grasp to start picking through the racks in search of the perfect thing. Kagome's friends soon joined her in the hunt. Finally she returned to where he stood, still trying to understand the point to all the things hanging off the pants; chains and straps hung from everywhere but seemed to serve no purpose. He found himself thinking that humans were quite strange. He was completely lost in his thoughts and failed to notice Kagome at his side.

"Sesshoumaru," she said in a teasingly erotic voice. "Are you ready to try some things on for me?" she asked him.

He turned and looked over the three things she held, trying to hide his surprise that she'd been able to sneak up on him. Really, he was letting his guard down much too easily. He wanted to sigh but held it back. If she really wanted him to try these strange things on then he would. Besides, it would give him a reason to be alone with her in one of those little rooms, where he really was **supposed** to remove him clothing, not just wanted to. He gave a short nod and allowed her to take hold of his hand and drag him along behind her. Her friends followed, apparently also quite interested to see him in Kagome's choices. When she reached their destination, Kagome opened the door and motioned for him to enter, following behind him and closing and locking the door. They could both hear her friends surprised whispers, each wondering why Kagome had gone in with him.

He stopped listening to the three human girls and turned his attention to Kagome once more, only to find that she'd already unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. They now hung precariously from his hips, ready to drop to the floor with the slightest movement. She was pulling a pair of black 'pants', if they could even be called by that name, that had red stitching, multiple chains and black straps hanging from everywhere, and zippers in places he didn't understand. When she looked up at him impatiently he merely tilted his hips to the side, allowing his current pants to fall to the ground. He casually stepped out of them and Kagome handed him the confusing item. He slid them on and watched as she zipped and buttoned.

"I knew it," she whispered.

"What is it that you knew?" he asked while inspecting himself in the mirror. It wasn't all that bad. He noted that they were incredibly baggy and hung all the way to the ground around his shoes, pretty much guaranteeing that the bottoms would be destroyed by any amount of walking around in them. The black with red stitching went well with the dark red shirt that he wore, and the dark colors seemed to make his hair glow.

"That you would look amazing in these," she said while giving one of the hanging chains a small tug. "Come on. Let's show the girls. Just a warning though. It's gonna be loud." With that said, Kagome swung open the door and stepped out, her demon lord following obediently.

"Oh… My… God!!!" Eri nearly screeched. "Look at him!"

Yuka and Ayumi, who had been discussing a long skirt that was adorned in a similar fashion to what he was wearing, turned around and gasped. "He's gorgeous," Yuka breathed out, Ayumi making a small sound of approval, her throat having frozen at the sight of him.

Kagome pulled him towards the larger mirrors. "Put your hands in the pockets," she directed. Looking down carefully to ensure he didn't slice the fabric, Sesshoumaru did as he was asked. "They're perfect!"

"You have chosen then?" he asked.

"Nope. You have to try on the other two." She giggled as his shoulders dropped. "Don't feel too bad. Most guys hate trying things on. Just the two, I promise. And maybe a couple of shirts." Sesshoumaru walked silently back into the changing room, Kagome following once more. A minute later they exited again. This time Sesshoumaru was wearing a pair of pants very similar to the first except that in addition to red stitching, the hanging straps were red as well. The process was repeated one last time, the third pair being red with black straps and black mesh pockets. Kagome had decided that she loved them all.

By the time they returned to the dressing room to put Sesshoumaru's own pants back on, the scent of his miko's arousal was overwhelming. Kagome quickly found herself pressed against the locked door, her lips being attacked by little nips and passionate kisses that continued their way down her throat. She felt his warm hands slip under her shirt, his claws barely touching her, leaving goosebumps in their wake, until they found her unrestrained breasts, nipples already standing at attention before he'd even touched her. "You, my sweet little miko, smell delicious," he purred into the curve of her neck. "What is it about these pants that excite you so?"

Kagome gasped as he rolled her left nipple between his thumb and fingers. "I… I don't know," she managed to breathe out before her shirt was lifted over her breasts and his mouth was firmly attached to the right. "You… Mmmmmm… You just look… so… hot," she murmured. "We can't… do this… here either," she managed to get out between her stifled moans as she tried to stay quiet.

"This Sesshoumaru desires a taste of that delicious aroma," he said softly before dropping to his knees and kissing the pale skin of her abdomen. "Open them for me," he ordered, and Kagome found herself obeying automatically, opening the zipper and button of her jeans. She shivered as he slid them down past her knees, taking her panties with them. In an instant she found her knees over his shoulders, her jeans still on her lower legs behind his head, and his face buried in her short, neatly trimmed black curls. Her head fell back to rest on the wall as she allowed him to have his way. She didn't really want to stop him anyways.

He knew he didn't have a lot of time. Her friends would wonder what was taking so long and more than likely start knocking on the door. He had to make this quick, but he was going to make sure she still thoroughly enjoyed herself. He allowed his tongue to slip between her incredibly slick folds, tasting the proof of her arousal. He was once again filled with male pride as he thought that it took nothing but her looking at him to make her so very wet. His hands cupped her soft ass, holding her to him as he flicked the tip of his tongue across her clit before sliding it into her passage as far as he could reach, which was pretty far thanks to his inhuman tongue.

He listened to her soft moans as her hands once again found their way into his hair. She was pulling even harder this time, probably because of the great effort she was making to stay quiet. During one extra hard tug of his silver strand he found himself giving her ass a squeeze in response. His incredibly sensitive hearing picked up her friends talking on the other side of the door, whispering to one another, wondering if everything was alright. Knowing he was almost out of time he trailed his tongue the full length of her folds before wrapping his lips around her clit and sucking hard while flicking his tongue over the very tip. As her hands tightened in his hair again he squeezed her ass and flicked his tongue faster. It took less than a minute for him to push her over the edge, drinking in all the ambrosia she released for him.

Once he had cleaned her sufficiently, though he would have loved to do a much more thorough job, he lifted her off his shoulders and settled her in his lap, enjoying the pressure and heat of her body pressed against his own painful arousal. The scent of her blood caught his attention and his eyes searched her face, thinking that somehow her wound had returned, but her cheek wasn't the source of her blood. As she climaxed she bit hard into her lower lip in a desperate attempt to keep from crying out. There was now a small trail of blood running down onto her chin, not that she noticed as she was still trying to catch her breath. He leaned down and licked the trail from her chin and then pulled her bottom lip between his own. He sucked on the injured bit of flesh for a few moments, enjoying the taste of her blood mixing with the lingering taste of her pleasure. Sesshoumaru gave the cut a few small licks, reluctantly closing the wound.

Lifting her body with his, he set her on her feet, making sure to keep a firm hold on her waist, just in case her legs weren't quite ready to support her. When he was certain she would be alright he helped her redress herself before she assisted him in removing the red pants and putting on his own once again. She smiled at him, her eyes still slightly glazed, as he ran his claws through his hair, removing the tangles caused by her tugging.

When they both looked sufficiently normal they exited the dressing room. Seeing the looks on her friends' faces, Kagome made a quick excuse. "We were trying to decide which we liked the best. Couldn't do it, so we're gonna get all three." She ignored their suspicious glances and, still clutching the three pairs of pants she was going to buy for Sesshoumaru, started looking through the women's racks, deciding she wanted something similar for herself. She selected a pair in black with green stitching and accents, one with purple, and something they called one legged pants. Not wanting to try them on at the moment, Kagome trusted that they were baggy enough to begin with that they would fit just fine. After a bit of poking around in the tops and not finding anything she liked, Kagome headed to the cashier.

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They'd finished everything, and with very little time to spare. Just how long Sango's powder would keep Kouga asleep varied from demon to demon so they'd decided on making sure they were done by the shortest possible duration. They cleared out of the empty wolf campsite, removing any and all traces of their presence. Then, stopping to pick up Rin and Shippo, and Jaken too since he insisted to be brought along, the group returned to the cave where Kouga laid unconscious. Inuyasha tossed the furs near the entrance while Miroku peeled off his sutras, removing the barrier. Then all that was left to do was wait. They decided that Rin didn't need to keep them hidden until there was some sign of movement in the darkness where Kouga was hidden from their eyes.

After a while everyone got bored with just sitting and waiting, so they ended up practicing their miko powers while they waited. None of them wanted Kagome to be disappointed that they hadn't advanced as much as she'd hoped because they were too busy playing pranks to take lessons and practice. Only Inuyasha knew for sure she wouldn't be disappointed, though she may still disapprove of their choice for passing the time. So Rin took over the role of teacher, describing just what she did and how it felt so the others could replicate it. Every now and then Akihiro would tell her of a technique he'd read about in the library scrolls about mikos and she would try and see if she could do it. Sometimes she succeeded and others she failed, but they all had fun trying. They were so enthralled with their powers that they almost missed the groan that echoed through the deep cave. Kouga was waking up.

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Kouga awoke to find himself in darkness. As his demon eyes adjusted he noted the light coming only from one direction. _'I'm in a cave or a tunnel or something,'_ he thought to himself. Taking in his surroundings he saw a bottle of water and a bag of what Kagome had told him were called 'potato chips' sitting off to one side. He found that he was sitting on a blanket. Then he noticed it. He was naked. His chest plate was lying nearby but his furs were nowhere in sight. "What the fuck?" he said aloud, wincing as his voice echoed loudly off the stone walls of the cave. His head hurt. It felt like someone had smashed his head in with a boulder. Making sure not to speak loudly again, Kouga sniffed his surroundings carefully, trying to figure out how he had gotten there and why he couldn't remember, but found no scents that could explain his odd situation.

Deciding that thinking too hard was only making his head hurt worse, he reached for the bottle of water and bag of snacks. Kagome had shown him how to open a bottle like this one a long time ago, and he'd learned after a few mishaps how to open the bags of chips she had given him and his men every now and then when they ran into each other. His mouth was dry. Hell, it felt like he'd been trying to drink sand. Opening the bottle thankfully, he poured nearly half of the cool, clear liquid down his throat in one giant gulp. Now that his mouth didn't feel like a desert, he carefully recapped the bottle and moved on to the chips.

He had almost finished the bag when it dawned on him that the water and chips could have only come from Kagome. Had she brought him here? He sniffed again, this time lowering his nose to the blanket he sat on. It was faint, but there was a definite hint of Kagome on the fabric. _'Why would Kagome bring me here and leave me alone? And why the hell am I naked and where are my fucking clothes?'_ Kouga was getting frustrated as his mind became clearer but no memories returned. Deciding that sitting here was getting him nowhere he quickly finished off the salty snack and chugged the rest of the water before leaving both empty items on the ground. He put on his chest plate, feeling rather odd to be wearing armor but no clothes, and wrapped the blanket around his waist. He picked up his sword, not sure why he bothered to carry the thing around since he never used it, and held it since he didn't have anything on the lower half of his body to hook it to.

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In the bushes they were ready. Rin had erected her barrier, effectively hiding their presence. Miroku had the camera ready, trained on the entrance to the cave where any minute now a naked and disoriented Kouga was appear. Sango finally realized just what they were most likely going to see and reluctantly turned around. She didn't want to miss his face, but she didn't want to see the rest of him. She turned Rin around as well, making sure not to break the little girl's concentration. They boys she didn't worry about. They all had the same things anyway and they'd seen other males naked as well so there was nothing to hide from them. No, it was just her virgin eyes and little Rin's. Inuyasha noticed her movement first and snorted as he tried to hold back a laugh before poking Miroku so he could see as well.

Miroku had a grin on his face as he turned to the love of his life. "Sango, my dear," he whispered. "Are you so afraid of the male form that you are willing to miss such an entertaining moment?"

"Shut up, monk," she hissed back, so ready to smack him. She still couldn't get the image of a naked and aroused Kouga lying flat on his back and completely unconscious. _'Damn that monk,' _she thought to herself. _'I don't need to be thinking about that! Sure, Kouga's cute and all, but I so did not need to know how big it was! I can't believe he looked in the first place, let alone tell me!'_

Miroku raised his hands in defeat before returning his attention to the quickly approaching show. He raised the camera so he could see the little screen, zooming in to get the first shot possible of the wolf prince's exit.

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As he walked towards the opening of the cave, Kouga extended his senses. He really didn't need anyone around to see him like this. It was embarrassing, and it was only made worse by the fact that he had no idea how he got this way! He didn't sense anyone, causing him to let out a sigh of relief. He walked out into the bright sunshine, eyes darting around in an attempt to determine where exactly he was. Taking a sniff of the breeze for added information, he caught his own scent and Kagome's mixed together and looked down to find the source. At his feet were his furs. Glancing around, Kouga bent quickly and snatched up his furs before retreating into the darkness of the cave to put them on.

He tossed the blanket to the ground where he'd awoken and, sword now secured at his side, and then walked back towards the light, feeling much more comfortable and confident now that he was dressed. The sweet scent of Kagome clung to his clothing, helping to keep him calm but also confusing him further. His body didn't smell like Kagome. If they had mated the whole cave would have been filled with the scents of their activities. So how did her scent get on his clothes so strongly but not on him? Did she take his clothes?_ 'No,' _he told himself. _'My Kagome would never leave me naked and vulnerable.'_

Stepping out of the cave, this time in his usual arrogant swagger, he examined his surroundings, realizing that he wasn't that far away from the mutt's pack and his own group's camp. Turning towards his camp, Kouga took off, leaving behind nothing but a swirling cloud of dust.

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Miroku was once again sent into the cave, this time to retrieve the blanket, which he slipped into another plastic zipper bag, and the empty bottle and foil bag. Kagome had explained to them the importance of never leaving any of the items she brought from her time to be found by others. They always cleaned up after themselves carefully, burning empty wrappers and other trash, making sure they burned completely before leaving the area. With his task complete, Miroku came back out of the cave and they all separated into their groups, moving as quickly as possible to the empty but very rigged wolf campsite. They didn't want to miss any of the fun.

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With all their purchases made and having visited all the stores they had hoped to, along with a couple extra, the group was now merely wandering around the mall, gazing through windows to kill time until Kagome's mother arrived to take them home. Kagome found herself feeling slightly guilty for spending so much money. She didn't know how her mother intended to pay the credit card bill. Money had always been a bit tight, not having the additional income a father would have brought to the family. Her mother had always made sure she had everything she needed, but every now and then, no matter how they tried to hide it, she would hear her mother and grandfather talking about money, and it always sounded like they didn't have enough. Of course neither her mother nor grandfather had ever told her or Souta that times were tough or money tight. They'd figured it out on their own. But then her mother had told her to buy whatever she wanted or needed, and Kagome was enjoying spending money on something other than bandages and ramen.

Every couple of store windows caused one of her friends to squeal in excitement and rush inside to check out just 'how cute' something was or check out the price in hopes of having enough money left. Yuka ended up with a new belt to go with her outfit for the party. Eri bought a pair of earrings, and Ayumi picked out shoes. With her three friends now out of money, it was just her and Sesshoumaru really paying attention to the window displays, with Kagome pulling out her phone every now and then to check the time. They were heading in the right direction at least, so they would be close to where they were supposed to be picked up at the right time. Kagome had no desire to make a mad dash across the giant mall so her mother wouldn't have to wait long.

Kagome noticed that Sesshoumaru would slow every now and then as he took in something in a display. When she asked if he wanted something or wanted to look inside he always said no, so she didn't know what exactly he kept noticing. They were passing a Barnes and Nobles book store when Kagome thought of something else she wanted to look at while she was here. She'd wanted to look at the toy stores but figured now wasn't the time. She wouldn't be able to explain to her friends who she needed all the toys for and they really didn't have a place for toys on their journey. Maybe when they were going to be heading to the Palace Moon she could get some things to bring along and leave at the palace when they continued on. Shaking the thought of toys from her head she called to her friends and gave Sesshoumaru's hand a tug before entering the giant bookstore.

Sesshoumaru's eyes were wide as he took in the sheer number of books. As he walked beside Kagome, who apparently knew her destination, he read the titles of the books they passed and the names of the sections posted on the shelves. It was when they were passing the history section that he stopped; causing Kagome to jerk to a stop as his hand still held hers but no longer followed her movement.

"Damn it, Sesshoumaru," she hissed out. Sure, it wasn't a library but it was still full of books, which gave the whole place a 'Be Quiet or Get Out' kind of feel. "You could have warned me."

The taiyoukai failed to answer as he skimmed over the titles. After a moment he released her hand to pick up one that seemed interesting. Kagome watched in silence with a smile on her face as he picked up a few more. She noticed that he was interested not only in the time between his era and hers but also in what had happened before the Feudal era.

She glanced around, seeing that they had lost her friends a while ago to the rack of magazines she'd barely spared a glance. She didn't find the articles and quizzes in the magazines aimed at teenagers interesting in the least. Seeing that no one was around to hear her, she spoke. "Don't you know all about Japan during this time?" she asked while pointing to one of his selections.

"This Sesshoumaru desires to see how it has been recorded. Many things in your history book are grossly inaccurate, and I desire to know just what is said about the events I have witnessed personally." He smirked at her as her eyes widened and traveled from the dates on the book to his face and back. He hadn't told her just how old he was yet and now she had a timeframe at the very least. She knew now that he had lived through at least some of the events covered during that time period and he had been right in his assumptions on how she would react. She was definitely shocked. But he had also been wrong, he realized, as a bright smile returned to her face. She apparently wasn't bothered by it. Did nothing faze this beautiful young woman?

"I get it," she said, the smile never leaving her face. "But you are going to have to tell me some day just how old you are." She received the expected 'Hn' and once he'd picked up the books he desired the couple continued their progression to the section Kagome had intended to visit all along.

Sesshoumaru found himself surrounded by bright colored books of all shapes and sizes. Finding a sign he determined that they were in the children's section. Looking around further he noticed small tables and toys spread around the area. He couldn't help the small smile that graced his lips. It was just like Kagome to want to get books for the children. Of course she would want them to continue to learn while traveling. He wanted to sweep her into his arms and kiss her senseless but his arms were a bit full, all the bags hanging off one arm, which was also loaded down with a stack of heavy looking books.

"I thought that since the kids will be missing their lessons while we're traveling maybe I could take over. I don't want to be the reason they are behind in their education."

"They would very much enjoy having you as their teacher," he said in a lower tone. "You make a wonderful mother Kagome."

She turned and looked into his eyes, seeing that he was being completely sincere. Blushing at the compliment, as well as the sudden image of herself pregnant with his pups, she turned away and looked over the books, trying to find the section she was looking for. By the time Kagome was finished she held an armload and Sesshoumaru had quite a few added to his stack as well. She'd picked out books on science, math, and more. There were some advanced books especially for Akihiro and some books more suited for girls for Rin. No one was left out as she found special choices for each child. She even picked a few more storybooks, filled with fairytales and fables as well as some of the more modern classics.

Sure, they were going to be heavy, but Sesshoumaru had assured her that Ah Un could carry them easily, that the weight would be nothing more than if a fly landed on his back. She decided that he would be the one to know and if he said it would be alright then it would, and allowed her self to pick all she desired. She walked past her friends, still at the magazine racks, giggling and talking lowly about which ever cute movie star was the new teen obsession. She called out to them and they reluctantly put back the magazines and left the store to wait outside. By the time Kagome was leaving the store it was almost time to meet her mother and the group made their way to the correct exit, thankful to find an empty bench in the shade.

Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi sat down on the bench, while Kagome and Sesshoumaru merely put down their bags. Glancing over to see why their friend hadn't joined them they all 'Aww'ed, making Kagome blush. Sesshoumaru stood with his back leaned against a column and Kagome stood right in front of him, leaning against his muscled chest, his right arm wrapped around her waist and right hand resting near her left hip. It was an obviously possessive hold and Kagome looked perfectly comfortable, like she was right where she belonged.

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Kouga easily found his way back to camp, but once he arrived he wasn't so sure he was in the right place. His small pack was gone. There wasn't even the slightest hint that they'd been there. All the supplies were gone. The small pile of wood they'd collected was gone. Their scent has completely disappeared. All that remained to show that anyone had ever camped there was the remains of a campfire. He looked around in confusion. "Where the fuck is everyone?" he asked himself aloud. They wouldn't just leave, not without him or his permission. What the hell was going on around here today? Had the whole world gone crazy?

He slowly walked towards the remnants of the campfire, finding it completely cold. Checking the position of the sun he knew it hadn't been that long since he'd been sitting around this very fire pit with his pack. That was the last thing he remembered, breakfast with the others. The fire should still be smoldering at the very least, but instead it looked like it had been out for days. Was it possible that he'd been in that cave for days? Maybe they left because they thought he'd left them behind? He was certain they would never assume him dead if he was missing for a few days so maybe they thought he'd moved on. But why would he have moved on? He was planning on staying right here until Kagome returned and damn it, that's what he was going to do, pack or no pack.

Deciding he was still hungry, Kouga got up from where he had knelt near the old fire and began walking towards the deeper parts of the forest named after the hanyou mutt. He scoffed to himself at the thought. 'A forest named after that worthless half-breed? It's ridiculous, that's what it is.' He'd almost reached the tree line when he suddenly found himself on his ass. "What the fuck?" he practically yelled, forgetting that his head still ached in his anger. "Fuck," he muttered under his breath as he rubbed his temples. Now his head hurt worse, not only from his exclamation but also because of the cause of it. It felt like he'd walked face first into a stone wall. Realizing just how impossible that was, Kouga looked in front of him, trying to find what he could have walked into. Finding absolutely nothing, he reached his hand out, finding nothing again. Now he was sure he was losing his mind. He took a few steps forward while waving his arms in front of him as if he were blind.

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They had arrived just in time to see Kouga's confusion as he knelt by the fire they'd smothered to make it appear to have been out for days. When he rose, Akihiro took the reigns while Rin continued to keep them hidden. He erected an invisible barrier in the wolf prince's path. When Kouga walked right into it and landed on his not so princely ass in the dirt they were biting their own hands to stifle their laughter. As soon as he'd hit it, Akihiro dropped the invisible wall. Miroku had been looking over the features of the camera, having remembered something Kagome had mentioned once. While the others had been preparing for their other pranks he had sat and played with it for a while until he figured out how to make it work. The digital camera had the capability to take short video clips, a few minutes tops but it was enough. He had zoomed in on Kouga and captured the fall perfectly. He continued to record as Kouga searched in front of him, searching for something that wasn't there. If Kagome had been there she would have said he looked like a mime. It was hilarious.

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Finally Kouga decided he had to have imagined it and tripped or something just as unlikely. He had no other explanation and it was just too weird. Deciding to just forget about it, he lowered his hands to his sides and set off towards the forest for his hunt once again. He'd taken just a few steps before finding himself once again on his ass, his forehead and nose throbbing. "**What the** **FUCK**?!" he snarled loudly, no longer caring about his headache. Whatever the hell was happening was making it worse already. He was confused, in pain, and really fucking pissed off. He moved around, still on the ground, until he was sitting, legs crossed. He wasn't going to give it another chance to get him, no way in hell.

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Miroku stopped the recording, seeing that the fun and games were over for a while. He snapped a few pictures of the fuming Kouga before everyone retreated, still fighting not to give their position away. Just to be safe they waited until they were all the way into their campsite before letting go. Inuyasha was on his back, howling with laughter, loving to see the wolf taken down a notch or two. Kouga had been a huge pain in his ass every since he'd first laid eyes on Kagome. Shippo wasn't any better, on his knees with his forehead to the ground as he laughed hysterically. Finally he was getting revenge on Kouga for kidnapping Kagome and trying to feed him to his wolves the first time they'd met. It wasn't quite enough yet, though, to make up for the wolf grabbing his ass this morning. Yoshi and Shin were a tad more dignified but not much, their laughter being fueled further by the sight their uncle was making.

Miroku was doubled over just thinking about the video he'd captured. Once everyone had calmed down he was going to show them all, which he was sure would start the laughter all over again. Sango was trying very hard not to laugh but she was losing the battle just light everyone else. Even Jaken was laughing. Only Rin didn't seem very amused. It had been funny, watching the wolf prince fall and wonder what he was walking into. She had been fighting to hold in her laughter just like the rest of them, until she's heard his snarling yell. Something about that sound made her blood run cold. Even now she shivered while holding Kazue tightly to her chest. The little black dog wasn't comfortable but she was worried. She called out to Kirara who immediately tried to get Sango's attention.

It took Sango a few moments to realize that Kirara was calling to her. When she heard the worried tone in the voice of her constant companion in her mind she immediately sobered. When Kirara told her what Kazue said about Rin her eyes snapped to the girl, taking in her frightened eyes and posture. Rin looked like she was trying to make herself invisible, her head down and shoulders pulled in. Her usually warm brown eyes were cold, terrified as she stared off into the distance, focused on nothing at all.

"Rin?" Sango called out as she rose. "Rin? Are you alright?" Within seconds she was at the little girl's side and everyone else's attention had been captured. Sango reached out to touch her shoulder but was surprised when she jerked back like she was afraid to be touched, like she thought the older woman would hurt her.

When Inuyasha saw Rin flinch away from Sango's hand he was up and at her other side in an instant. "Rin?" he said softly. "Rin, are you alright?" Now that he was closer he noticed that the sharp scent of fear covered her shivering form.

It took a few moments before Rin looked up, her eyes focusing on Inuyasha's face, before she leapt into his arms. As the hanyou's arms wrapped around her protectively she finally let the tears fall. "Rin… Rin is so scared!" she sobbed into his shoulder.

Everyone looked confused as Inuyasha asked her, "What are you afraid of, Rin? Nothing and no one is going to hurt you. You're safe with us."

"The… the sound… the growl… it was the same. It sounded the same!"

"The same as what? Do you mean Kouga's growl? What did it sound like?"

"The wolf… the wolves… I… I… Rin ran. Rin ran to him, to Lord Sesshoumaru… but Rin didn't make it in time. It hurt. It hurt so much!"

Without even thinking about it, Inuyasha began to run his claws through her hair, rubbing her back every now and then, all the while rocking slightly where he sat. "Rin, you need to calm down. I can't understand what you mean," he said soothingly. "But nothing and no one is going to hurt you. That wolf won't hurt you. There is nothing to be afraid of. We're all here to keep you safe, and you can defend yourself now too. You can protect yourself with a barrier. You can use your purifying energy. If you ever got separated from us, which we would never let happen, you could keep yourself safe until we found you. You're strong, Rin. Strong like Kagome."

As his words sunk in Rin snuggled herself deeper into his chest, her sobs slowing until they stopped completely. She felt safe in his arms. He was like her Lord Sesshoumaru, like her Papa. He was her uncle now. A small smile graced her tearstained face as she drifted off to sleep. She had a whole family again.

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When Hiromi pulled up to the curb she got out and unlocked the back hatch, smiling as she watched Sesshoumaru take hold of all of the bags, refusing to let Kagome help. The three other girls set their bags in the back first and then the great and powerful demon lord very carefully lined up Kagome's purchases in the remaining space. It was rather interesting to watch a being of such great strength carrying pink and purple bags, among the others. She caught sight of the two large pink bags he seemed to take the most care with. She'd seen that the other girls each had a small pink bag, but apparently Kagome had purchased a great deal more in that particular store. With a soft laugh she decided she would need to have a talk with her daughter about some things she probably should have said years ago.

Kagome glanced at her mother when she heard the small laugh before looking around to see just what she found so funny. When her eyes landed on the pink bags her mother was smiling at a fierce blush flared to life and she had to turn away. She was so stupid! She should have put her purchases from there in other bags! She was mortified of what her mother must have been thinking, seeing that. But then the laugh confused her. Why would her mother find her underage unwed daughter's purchase of lingerie funny? She probably thought they were having sex, which they pretty much were, well, almost. When all the bags had been loaded she heard her mother close the rear hatch and immediately scooted into her seat, refusing to look in her mother's direction. She felt Sesshoumaru slide in beside her and could feel his curiosity and slight worry at the feelings she was broadcasting through the mark.

'Kagome, what is wrong? Why are you embarrassed and worried?'

She let out a sigh and turned to look at him, her eyes snapping to her mother as the older woman laughed from the driver's seat, having heard the exasperated sound. She could see her mother sneaking peeks at her in the rearview mirror and had to look away again. She chose to look out the window on her right rather than the demon on her left as she answered. 'My mother saw the Victoria Secret's bags! She knows I bought lingerie.'

'Lingerie?' he asked curiously.

'The things I bought, other than the bra and panty sets. The little black and red babydoll and all the other surprises! She's got to think we're having sex now! And she's laughing! I can't figure it out!'

'How did you expect her to react to our intimacy?'

'How is it that you can make everything sound so cold and clinical and yet so damn sexy at the same time?' she growled in his mind. 'She's supposed to be upset, or angry, or disappointed, or something! But not laugh!'

'Why would she be any of those things?'

'Girls in my time don't get married for a couple more years, and we're not really supposed to have sex before marriage, though a lot of girls do anyway. But I grew up on a shrine. It is expected of me to be pure, at least until I'm married.'

'She allows this Sesshoumaru to sleep in your room, in your bed. She allows us privacy and knocks and waits for an invitation before entering or talks through the door. She does not hold the standards you expect. She understands how you are different from most girls your age in this time.'

Kagome sighed again. Why did he always have to be right? 'We've never really had the whole sex talk thing. God, she's probably gonna want to do that now. I can't talk to her about sex! Hell, I can barely talk to **you** about sex!'

'Trust me, little miko. Everything will be fine.' She could feel as his arm slipped over her shoulder and her body was slid a little closer to his. Giving in, she turned to face him and rested her head on his shoulder. His other hand came up to run soothingly through her hair. With the combination of his warmth and soft touch and the gentle motion of the car, Kagome found herself drifting off. She'd had a busy morning and early afternoon, much more than most people would ever deal with, and she still had an afternoon full of studying to look forward to. Deciding it wouldn't hurt to rest her eyes for a few minutes, she gave in to the wave of comforting darkness, and the last thing she knew was the warmth of his breath on her cheek and his whispered words. "I love you my sweet Kagome. Sleep. I'll be here when you wake."


	73. Dreams are Like Movies

**Chapter 73 – If Dreams Are Like Movies Then Memories Are Films About Ghosts**

When they'd received the call they were certain it was a mistake. There was no way that their son, who'd never had any behavioral problems at home or at school, would take a knife into a crowded mall. They immediately rushed to the police station where they'd been directed to go, hoping to clear the mess up easily. When they arrived they were taken to an office and asked to wait.

"This has to be a mistake. This just has to be a mistake," Mrs. Hojo repeated for the eighth time since they'd entered the station. Mr. Hojo was stalking around the room like a caged tiger ready to pounce on whoever came through the door. He knew that his son couldn't have possibly done something so stupid. Finally the door opened and an officer walked in.

"Hello, my name is Officer Nori and I'm handling your son's case for the time being."

"There has to be some mistake," Mrs. Hojo said, nearly in tears. "My baby Hiroshi would never do something like this. He's a good boy!"

"Well, Ma'am, Sir, if you would allow us to question him then we can get to the bottom of this. You can choose either to be present with him during questioning or leave it to us and sign a waiver. You can watch from the observation room if you like."

Hiroshi Hojo's father looked at his nearly hysterical wife for a minute before deciding. "We'll sign the waiver. She wouldn't do anyone any good in there right now and I can't leave her alone."

"A wise choice sir." The detective flipped through a few forms in his folder before pulling out the one he'd prepared in hopes of the parents agreeing to sign it. It was always a lot harder to interview a suspect, especially a young one, when the parents were present. They always seemed more afraid of what their parents would say or do if they confessed than they were about the police officers and the possibility of jail time. "If you would look this over and make sure everything is correct, then sign here," he pointed to a line around the middle of the sheet of paper, "and here," he pointed again, this time at the bottom. "And then I'll take you to the observation room and we'll get started."

Mr. Hojo glanced over the form, checking his son's information, before signing on both lines the officer had indicated. Dropping the pen, he turned and helped his wife from her seat. They both followed Officer Nori without a word. When they walked into the room he'd led them to, the first thing that they noticed was another officer standing there and then they saw their son. Both had a sudden and instinctive feeling that this wasn't going to end well at all. Hojo was staring right at them, or at least it looked like he was, but in reality he was staring at himself. The strange babbling hadn't stopped or even slowed since Detective Nori had left to speak with his parents.

"This is Officer Tantei. He'll be staying in here with you and will do his best to answer any questions you have about the process." The Hojo's nodded and with a quick bow Officer Nori walked out of the room and into the one beside it.

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He wanted answers and he wanted them now. Whatever had happened to Rin had to have been bad for her to be reacting so strongly. And somehow it had something to do with the wolf. Just the thought that Kouga had something to do with her being so upset, so terrified, made him want to rip the wolf prince limb from limb. The little girl in his arms was so sweet, so cheerful, and so accepting. She seemed at home with her pack, with demons, like they were her true family. She accepted him as a hanyou without question or qualm just like Kagome had. She was special and she needed to be protected, shielded from whatever frightened her so badly. This little Kagome look-alike, she riled the protective nature in him, made him want to ensure that she was always safe and happy, that she was never afraid or in danger.

He wished he could make the world perfect for her, just like he wanted to for Kagome. The way things were now, the constant battles and ever present danger, the constant threat from their enemies; it wasn't what they deserved. They deserved a world of peace, where no one set out to hurt anyone else, where everyone accepted everyone else, where everyone was friends. Sure, he knew it wasn't possible, that even after they defeated Naraku there would still be evil in the world, but that didn't mean he couldn't try.

Inuyasha sat for a while trying to figure out a way to get Rin to talk about whatever it was so they could understand before he realized. "Jaken!" he hissed, loud enough to get the toad's attention but not so loud as to wake the sleeping little girl nestled in his arms like a baby.

Jaken scrambled over to the hanyou, wondering what he sounded so angry about. He was pretty sure he hadn't done anything to upset Inuyasha, so why was he glaring like that? "Yes, Inuyasha? Is there something you need?"

"Yeah, I'd like some fucking information. You follow him around. You had to be there when it happened. She said she was running, trying to get to Sesshoumaru, but she didn't make it. Do you know what she's talking about? Was she injured somehow? You should know. It had to be while she was with you and Sesshoumaru. What happened with wolves?"

Jaken appeared to be thinking for a minute before he finally replied. "Young Rin has been injured several times after running off on her own or somehow being separated from us, but she was never seriously hurt and as far as I know she's never had an incident with wolves, not while she has traveled with my Lord." He paused for a moment, staring at the ground and wracking his little toady brain for something, anything that would add some illumination to the child's odd behavior and dreams. She was always such a happy and fearless girl, so this was all very out of character for Rin. When a thought struck him he looked up and stared at the girl still curled up in Inuyasha's arms.

"When she first began to follow Lord Sesshoumaru the child never spoke. She would smile and laugh but she never uttered a single word, and after a while we began to think that she was mute. When she finally spoke it was like the dam broke and the girl never shut up! But that wasn't my point. What was it again?" He scratched his chin while looking around as if the answer would float to him if he waited long enough.

"How did she come to follow Lord Sesshoumaru to begin with?" Sango asked. Everyone murmured their agreement. They had all wondered about it since the first time they saw the little human girl with the vicious human hating demon lord.

"Oh!" the little green demon cried out, happy to have something he could actually answer, at least partially. "It was soon after my Lord was hit by the Windscar. The Tenseiga carried him away to safety, leaving no trail for me to follow. It took me several days to finally locate him. When I arrived he was standing in the middle of a forest path just looking down at her. When he turned and walked away she started following us. I tried to stop her but my Lord ordered me to leave her be, that if she wished to follow him it was her choice."

"So you don't know how they met? Or why he was just standing there looking at her? That does not give us much to go on. We know no more now than we did last night when she had the nightmare the first time," Miroku said, sounding as frustrated as Inuyasha felt.

"That wasn't the first time she had the nightmare," Jaken popped in. "She had the same nightmare, at least we assumed it was the same, every night for months when she first joined us. She never spoke to tell us what she was dreaming of but she always whimpered and cried until one of us woke her. And then she wouldn't go back to sleep on her own. I still don't know why he allowed it then, but Rin could only fall asleep again after being woken from her nightmare if she was in my Lord's lap, quite like she is now in yours, Inuyasha."

"But how did you get the nightmares to stop?" Sango asked curiously.

"I don't know how they were stopped. They just happened less and less frequently until they finally stopped happening altogether."

"So then whatever she's dreaming about happened before she joined your pack, but she said she was running to Sesshoumaru but she didn't make it," Inuyasha said thoughtfully.

"So it is only logical to conclude that whatever the source of the nightmares is occurred after she first met Lord Sesshoumaru but before Jaken located him," Miroku thought aloud.

Jaken's eyes widened as he remembered something, something he'd never taken the time to worry about. Now, however, it definitely needed consideration. "When I was looking for Lord Sesshoumaru, I could sense he was near and the scent of wolves and howling was in the air. I remember thinking that I hoped the wolves hadn't found my Lord while he was injured, that he didn't need to fight a whole pack of wolves so soon after being wounded. When I found him, he was looking at her… there was the scent of wolves again, very strong where they stood, and there was the scent of blood as well. Even with my weaker sense of smell I could tell that the wolves had massacred a nearby village. But there was a strong scent of blood at that very spot where she stood. Her clothes were torn but she had no wounds and she gave no indication of being in pain. I don't know what to think, what could have happened to explain it. This Jaken fears he can be of no more help. Only my Lord and Rin can fill in the blanks."

"That's it then," Inuyasha said with a frustrated growl. "In the morning I'm going to ask Sesshoumaru about it. There's something bothering her and I need to know what it is. If she's afraid of the wolves for some reason, if that's why the nightmares came back, then we'll either have to give up our plans or keep her out of them. If I find out…" the hanyou allowed his thought to trail off. If he found out that Kouga had something to do with why Rin was so terrified and traumatized he would skin the wolf with his bare hands. He ran his fingers through her dark hair, mostly to soothe himself since she was still asleep, wondering just what his brother would tell him.

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Sesshoumaru sat with the sleeping Kagome leaning on his shoulder while Hiromi pulled the car into the driveway and put it in park. He didn't want to wake her, not yet. She'd been through a lot today and it was only half over. She needed a break before she began studying with her friends. The taiyoukai looked closely at the small mechanism that held what Kagome had called his 'seat belt' in place. Remembering what she'd done, he pushed the red button and the belt popped loose. He repeated the process on Kagome's belt, moving it from across her chest before shifting her slightly. Hiromi had opened the car door for him and he slid out with Kagome held comfortably in his arms.

"This Sesshoumaru will return for our purchases. Kagome is in need of a short rest before the studying begins."

"Alright," Hiromi agreed. "I'll make a snack for the girls and tell them to relax for a while, and that they can start their studying after Kagome's had a short nap."

"Thank you," the demon lord said with a small bow of respect. By then the girls had already opened the door to the house so he made his way inside and up the stairs, opening Kagome's door with one hand while supporting her limp body with his other arm. He laid her gently on the bed and sat beside her for a moment, just watching her sleep. She looked so peaceful, so beautiful as she slept. All the stress and worry she tried to keep hidden from everyone but that he could see was gone, giving her a small break from it all. Finally he rose after kissing her lips softly. He closed the door silently and headed back down the stairs.

When he went outside he saw that Hiromi had left the back hatch of the car open for him and he carried everything inside, taking two trips not because he needed to but because he needed the extra time to think. When everything was safely inside and the hatch closed carefully, Sesshoumaru went back inside, closing the front door behind him. A glance in the living room told him that Kagome's friends didn't seem to mind the delay, as they were sitting on the couch chatting and watching television while nibbling on chips and white cheddar popcorn. He made his way into the kitchen and sat down at the table, watching Hiromi in silence for a few minutes as she bustled around, apparently already preparing dinner.

"Whenever you're ready, Sesshoumaru."

"Hm?" he asked, the sound a slight variation to his classic 'Hn'.

"You wanted to talk to me about something, didn't you?"

He studied her face carefully, trying to figure out how this human woman knew his thoughts.

"A mother just knows these things, dear. You're worried about something?"

"It is not so much that this Sesshoumaru is worried as it is Kagome. She believes you will be angry or disappointed if you conclude that she is no longer what she called a 'virgin'?"

Hiromi looked at him and smiled. "I know she still is, but I also know she won't be for long. I just wasn't expecting to see her buying things from Victoria's Secret."

"It was not her idea. Her friends wished to go into the store and I was intrigued by the items."

"I didn't figure she'd pull you in there."

"No. But Kagome is worried that since girls in this era marry later in life than in my era you would disapprove of our relationship. I told her that you do not hold her to the standards of this age but she was not convinced. She has enough to be worried over and I do not think she should worry herself over this."

"So you want me to talk to her?"

"That is the problem."

"She's afraid to talk to me about it? I suppose it is my own fault for not having 'the talk' with her a long time ago. I guess we're both going to have to suffer through it because I don't want her to be embarrassed or feel guilty about sex. She doesn't need to be either. Don't worry; it'll be fine. She won't be worrying about it too much longer." He nodded his appreciation of her understanding. "I'm curious… this demon courting, how long does it usually take?"

"It varies greatly between demon pairs. There are certain steps I must follow but it is my decision as to what pace I take them, and I would make the determination based on Kagome's comfort level."

"And you haven't even asked her yet?"

"No, not officially, though she is well aware of my intentions."

Hiromi smiled at him. "You'll make an exceptional mate. You're always concerned about her. I know you'll be very happy and she will be too."

Sesshoumaru looked suddenly at the ceiling, furrowing his brows.

"Is something wrong?"

"Kagome is whimpering, but she is still asleep."

"Maybe she's having a bad dream." Hiromi couldn't help but smile again as she took in the empty chair her demon son-in-law had been sitting in just seconds ago. He was already upstairs.

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Hojo looked up as the door finally opened. "Are my parents here? Did you tell them what I said?" he asked as the police officer took a seat across from him at the table.

"Your name is Hiroshi Hojo, correct?" Hojo nodded. "I need you to answer aloud for me."

"Oh, yes, I am Hiroshi Hojo."

"Your parents have given me permission to ask you some questions about what happened today. There are some things that need to be cleared up and we wanted to give you the chance to tell your side of the story. So, tell me what you were doing at the mall this morning."

"I stopped at her house, at the shrine, and her grandfather said she was at the mall with her friends and that thing. It took me too long to get there be…"

"Slow down, son. Whose house did you go to?"

"Kagome- my Kagome- oh, you want her last…Higurashi. Her name is Kagome Higurashi.. I was worried about her because that thing, he was planning something. He's evil, a monster or a demon. I had to save her. I'm her Prince Charming and my damsel was in distress, or at least I thought she was. It was too late. I got there too late. He'd already changed her, or replaced her, or infected her or something. I don't know. All I know is that it wasn't Kagome. No, it wasn't my Kagome!" Hojo looked confused for a moment, as if he was thinking. And he was. He was busy trying to figure out when Kagome had changed. She's seemed fine Friday afternoon, or he thought she did.

Officer Nori found himself staring at the boy who apparently had very little need to breathe between sentences. "Higurashi, Kagome, you said? And she lives on a shrine?"

"Her family runs the Sunset Shrine and they live on the grounds." His voice got louder and faster as more worries flooded his mind. "Oh, Kami, I hope the rest of them are alright. He could have gotten them too! Mrs. Higurashi is so nice, so sweet, just like my Kagome. She doesn't deserve this. Someone needs to tell her that it's not Kagome!"

"Not Kagome?" the officer asked.

Hojo nodded rapidly. "That thing… it looks like her and it sounds like her but it's evil, just as evil as the first one. He threatened me yesterday, told me to stay away from her, that she was his. But she's mine! She's always been mine! I couldn't let him take her away from me!!!" Hojo was almost yelling again as he thought of the possibility of Kagome being with another.

Officer Nori was trying his best to glean relevant information from the boy's ranting, but something was definitely wrong with this kid. He sounded like he was having some kind of psychotic break. He obviously wasn't living on the same planet as everyone else. No, this kid had a planet all to himself. "Kagome, she's your girlfriend then?"

"No, well yes but no too. She's my soul mate and we're going to get married and spend the rest of our lives together. But she wasn't ready for a relationship so I waited for her. I was waiting until she was ready. But then that thing, that thing was there and he tainted her. He turned her into a monster too!"

The officer leaned back in his chair and looked at the boy. There wasn't much point in taking notes. He couldn't keep up with the crazy things spurting out of the boy's mouth, and they were video taping it anyway. He decided that he would simply keep the boy talking and try to figure at least some of it out. "Alright, Hiroshi, I need you to slow down. So Miss Higurashi wasn't your girlfriend officially, but she was going to be?" he asked, buying into the delusion to see where it would take him. Hiroshi nodded his head quickly, and when he started to open his mouth to speak, the officer held up a hand for silence. "And someone else has taken her away from you somehow?" Another nod. "Alright, I need you to start from the beginning."

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Inuyasha had finally put Rin down, settling her carefully on the bedding. He was hungry and apparently so was Shippo since the kit had insisted on having meat for dinner. He'd refused the jerky from their supplies, wanting fresh meat, not dried. The hanyou shook his head. Of course the kit was hungry and craving meat. He'd expended a lot of his youki today. Inuyasha took Yoshi and Shin with him to hunt and they returned quickly. Soon the scent of roasting rabbit filled the camp, making everyone's mouths water in anticipation. Since everyone seemed incredibly hungry from their busy day Sango set out to make ramen as well and everyone was slurping down instant noodles while they waited for their meat to be done. They boys and Shippo claimed theirs after just a few minutes, preferring it at least mostly raw. Ever since they'd tried it Kagome's way they'd wanted it cooked just a bit. The heat of the flames seemed to bring out the flavor and made the texture much more appealing.

After everyone had eaten, Miroku and Inuyasha took the boys for a bath since everyone was absolutely filthy from their day's work. Operation Preparation had been a messy one. Sango sat and watched over Rin with Jaken, Kirara, Kazue, and Ah Un. Everyone was still worried about her and curious too, wondering what had happened to her to cause her such frightening dreams and memories.

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Rin looked around, wondering where she was. A noise drew her attention and she saw the well that Kagome used to travel between times. There was a scuffling sound and then she saw a hand reach out of the depths and grab the side of the well. As she looked on Rin watched Kagome climb out of the well, looking around in confusion.

"Mama!" she called out, but Kagome didn't turn her way. "Mama!" Rin cried out louder as she ran to the miko's side. "Mama, can't you hear me?"

"The god tree! I can always find my way home from there!"

Rin furrowed her adorable little eyebrows. She reached out to touch Kagome but found that her hand passed right through. As Kagome started to run through the forest Rin followed behind her, not wanting to lose sight of her Mama here in what she now knew had to be a dream. _'Mama looks different'_ she thought._ 'Younger.'_

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Kagome was walking through a forest, weaving between trees. She noticed that she held a rice ball and a small wooden cup of water, and in the distance she could see a flash of white. As she got closer and closer she realized that she was looking at Sesshoumaru. She couldn't control her feet or her mouth. She couldn't talk, couldn't call out to him to ask him what was going on, and how and why they were back in the past. She didn't remembering going through the well. The last thing she remembered was snuggling with Sesshoumaru on the car ride home from the mall. Slowly it dawned on her that this had to be a dream.

"You are wasting your time. I don't eat human food." Sesshoumaru's voice was cold but it didn't sound threatening.

She couldn't stop herself as she leaned down and set the rice ball and water on the ground a few feet in front of the demon lord, and before she knew it she was skipping away towards what appeared to be a village. As she approached the small clearing of huts Kagome began to realize that this wasn't an ordinary dream. She was caught in what seemed like someone else's memories, but 'whose memories' was the question. In the blink of an eye it was no longer light out and she was standing almost knee deep in water, bent over and trying to catch a fish. A bright light shone on her as someone lifted a torch from the shore.

"We knew it was you! We take you in and feed you and you dare steal from us? We'll teach you." Kagome was dragged out of the water and found herself surrounded by grown men hitting and kicking at her. She tried to get away at first but soon was curled up in the fetal position trying to avoid the blows. It was horrible! Kagome had never been beaten, not like that. She'd been injured, sure, but she'd never been outnumbered like she was experiencing now. As she looked herself over she realized that she was just a child. _'How could they?_' she thought since she couldn't speak. _'How could they gang up on a little girl?'_

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Rin stopped at the edge of the clearing Kagome had run into, just taking it all in. There was her Uncle Inuyasha, but he was hanging from a tree by an arrow and he looked like he was sleeping. Kagome climbed up the vines and was soon tweaking his ears, making Rin laugh. Suddenly there were others in the clearing, demanding to know who Kagome was and what she was doing in Inuyasha's Forest. Rin noticed that Kaede was among them.

"I didn't know this was called Inuyasha's Forest. Uncle Inuyasha has his own forest?" she asked herself since it was obvious no one could see or hear her.

She followed behind as Kagome was dragged to the village. She blinked and found herself inside Kaede's hut while Kagome and Kaede sat across from each other eating and talking. There was a loud crash coming from outside before someone screamed, "Demon! A demon is attacking the village!"

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Officer Nori glanced at his notes before continuing. "When did you first see this other male?"

"Friday afternoon, I stopped by the shrine to bring her a get well gift basket. She's always sick with something or other and I like to do what I can to make her feel better. He was there when I got there, sitting next to her on the couch like he belonged there. I didn't trust him from the moment I laid eyes on him. He looked like a gangster or something. He even had tattoos on his face!"

"Okay, and did he say or do anything to you or Miss Higurashi during that encounter?"

"No. No, it was weird. He just sat there, quiet, and staring at me. And Kagome, my sweet Kagome... he had to have brainwashed her or something because she touched him, held his hand, and even crawled into his lap!"

"But nothing of interest occurred on Friday?"

"No, it was Saturday when he threatened me. I was following them, making sure she was safe and…"

"You were following Miss Higurashi and what appeared to be her boyfriend?"

"He wasn't her boyfriend! He'll never be her boyfriend," Hojo screamed as he stood from his chair, knocking it backwards to the floor.

The detective didn't move, just looked up at the furious teen. "Sit down, Hiroshi. We are nowhere near done."

The teenager sighed but bent down and righted his chair before sitting down again. "He's not her boyfriend," he hissed stubbornly across the table.

"Alright, if you say so. You would know. What happened then? You said he threatened you?"

"He dragged me into an alley. I don't know how he moved so fast. One second I could see him sending Kagome into a coffee shop and the next thing I knew he was behind me. He threw me up against the wall and his eyes turned red, like blood or lava or something. His lips curled at me and I could see fangs, huge fangs, like vampire fangs or something! And there was this sound, this dripping 'chsssss' sound and when I looked down he had huge claws and they were glowing bright green and something was dripping off them, out of them really, and when it hit the ground it ate away at the concrete like… like… like acid or something."

"He snarled and growled when he talked. It was like… like he was a… a werewolf or something! He told me to stay away from her, that she was his. It was a warning, like if I went near her again; I knew he would kill me. But I had to warn her. I had to let her know that he wasn't what she thought he was. She held his hand while they walked between the shops. His arm wrapped around her waist. I even saw her kiss him. But she didn't know what she was doing. She couldn't have. He'd done something to her already. I didn't know it then, but when she growled…"

"Miss Higurashi growled as well?"

"I had to get her alone to tell her about him so I grabbed her while she was in line in the food court. She'd left him at the table with their bags."

"So the monster, or demon, remained at the table and babysat the bags while Miss Higurashi bought food?" His tone was incredulous, taunting even. There wasn't any point in continuing. There was only place this kid was going and it was the loony bin.

"Yes! And I pulled her into the hallway so we could talk, but she didn't want to talk. She said that she didn't love me, that she loved him."

"Why did you bring the knife with you to the mall to begin with?"

"I was trying to save her! I was gonna kill him… it if I had to. I knew he was dangerous. He had claws and fangs and I needed something, anything to protect myself and Kagome with. I don't know how he found us. I was sure he hadn't seen me. I don't know how he got there so fast, but he was angry. His eyes turned red again and he was threatening me, and Kagome was struggling and then she growled, like a giant dog or a wolf or something! It echoed in the hall it was so loud! At first I thought it was him again but the second time… the second time I knew. And then I dropped her. I guess the knife cut her somewhere because I noticed there was blood on it, but I just had to get away. I had to get out of that hall because he was going to kill me. I didn't mean to hurt her. I didn't mean to hurt anyone. But everyone needs to be warned. You need to go and find them and lock them up. You have to find out what they are before it spreads and there are no real people left! Didn't you find them in the hall? Or at least her? She hit her head when she fell. She didn't look like she was going to be getting up and walking away."

"We found no evidence of a struggle in the service hall. There was no monster or girl. There was no blood. There was nothing to support your story."

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It was day again and Kagome could still feel the pain. Her little body was covered with bruises and one of her eyes was swollen shut. Again she was making her way through the forest, this time carrying a fish and some berries. Kagome recognized the surprise that showed in Sesshoumaru's eyes before it was hidden away. Once again she set the food in front of him.

"Who did this to you?" he asked, trying to sound like he didn't care either way. Kagome knew though that he was angry and concerned as well, even though it seemed like he was trying to deny it to himself as well as her. She laughed and smiled widely before turning and leaving once more. This time when she returned Kagome saw where this little girl lived. It was little more than a lean-to of rotting boards propped against one of the village's larger huts. She bent down to get a drink from a large cracked bowl sitting on the floor and inside she gasped as she saw her face. Even with the bruises and the black eye she recognized that face. _'Is this real? Did this really happen to Rin?'_

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The demon was after Kagome and soon her Mama was running back towards the forest, an ugly centipede woman chasing her. Somehow she found herself back at the god tree and saw as Kagome ran into the clearing. She watched on in amazement as Inuyasha suddenly woke and Kagome removed the arrow, releasing him from the tree. Then he fought Mistress Centipede, killing her easily. And then she was shocked to see him try to attack Kagome for the jewel. She looked on as Kaede threw the beads and Kagome sat the hanyou for the first time. She'd always wondered what the jewel she'd heard so much about looked like before it was broken and she got one better. Not only did she see it, she saw it come out of Kagome's side.

Rin thought it was amazing, being able to see what Kagome had experienced her first time in the past. She found herself wondering how Inuyasha had gone from trying to kill Kagome to protecting her so fiercely. She knew she was going to have a lot of questions to ask her Mama when she came back. When she opened her eyes again she found that she was lying on the bedding in their camp site. Realizing that she was finally awake she took a look around and saw Sango sitting by the fire.

"Where is everyone?" she asked softly.

"Oh Rin! You're awake! Miroku and Inuyasha took the boys for a bath. Do you wanna take yours tonight or tomorrow morning?" After deciding to take their bath tonight, Sango gave Rin some dinner and they sat in a comfortable silence. When the boys returned Sango and Rin took their turn in the hot springs. While Rin was away Inuyasha, Miroku, and the boys talked about what they had planned for the next day as well as what they would do if Rin didn't want to participate. If their pranks were causing her such terrible nightmares they weren't worth it. She could either stay at camp with Jaken and maybe Sango too, or they would completely give up their plans. Since it wasn't going to get dark for a couple more hours, when the girls returned they all decided to practice their holy powers some more. Once again they gathered in a circle and worked on their meditation like Kaede had shown them the day before.

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All around her everyone was screaming. She ran out of her pathetic little excuse for a home and her eyes widened. There were wolves everywhere, and Kouga! She saw Kouga in the middle of the village and heard as he told his wolves to eat their fill. She wanted to slap him, to scream at him, but suddenly she was running. Her little legs were carrying her as fast as they could but as she glanced over her shoulder she could see the wolves chasing her, gaining on her. They were nipping at her heels and Kagome could hear Rin's thoughts in her head. 'I have to get to him! He'll save me! He'll protect me!'

'Is she thinking about Sesshoumaru?' Kagome wondered. Her thinking was cut short as she tripped and fell in the middle of the forest path. In less than a second they were on her, their fangs tearing through her flesh. She felt every second of it, screaming in her mind, begging for it to stop, but it didn't, at least not until everything faded to black

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He made it up the stairs in seconds. He had to wake her, to stop the nightmare. She was so afraid and she was in pain. He didn't know how it was possible for a dream to cause such realistic pain but now wasn't the time for curiosity. Sesshoumaru sat down on the bed and pulled her into his arms. "Kagome," he said softly. "Kagome, wake up."

Kagome opened her eyes quickly, wiggling out of his lap and as far away as she could get. She was looking around the room, eyes wild as she shivered in the far corner of the bed.

"Kagome," he said, worry obvious in his voice. "It was just a dream. Everything is fine. You're safe in your room." He listened as her heartbeat and breathing gradually returned to normal and she relaxed slightly. "Kagome, come here." He opened his arms and she crawled into them, burying her face in his neck. She was still shivering and he could smell her tears.

"Oh my Kami, it was awful! It was terrifying and it hurt! It hurt so bad. She didn't make it to you. She didn't make it to you and they tore her apart!"

Sesshoumaru lifted a brow. "Who, Kagome? What did you dream about?"

"Sesshoumaru? Show me how you met Rin. Show me the first time you saw her until she started traveling with you."

"Why? Did you dream about Rin?"

She nodded. "I was her in the dream. Please, just show me. I need to know." She closed her eyes and he did the same before bring up the memory of the first time he saw the little girl in tattered clothing, when she tried to help him instead of fearing him as he'd expected. He showed Kagome as Rin brought him different kinds of food, including the time she came back looking as if she'd been beaten. He showed her when he found her mangled body in the path and how he brought her back with his sword. When he'd finished she was still crying, harder now. "It was real. She really went through it. She remembers it. She remembers it all."

"Rin suffered from nightmares for several months, and she didn't speak a single word for quite some time. Kagome, tell me what you saw, or show me."

Kagome shook her head. "You don't wanna know. And I don't wanna remember, not yet." She glanced at the clock and gasped. "Why did you let me sleep so long? You should have woke me up when we got home!"

"Your friends are downstairs watching the 'television' and eating snacks of some kind. They said they didn't mind relaxing for a while before you began studying."

Kagome sighed and smiled at him. "I'm gonna go let them know I'm up so we can get started," she said before leaning up and kissing him softly. "What are you gonna do while we're studying?"

"This Sesshoumaru shall read one of the books we purchased today."

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Mr. and Mrs. Hojo were in shock as they listened to their son rant like he'd lost his mind. "What's going to happen to him," she asked the officer.

"From what we've seen, he's going to be taken in for a mental evaluation. We'll go from there. Did either of you see any warning signs? Has he been acting strange lately? Maybe taking drugs?"

"My baby would never take drugs!" Mrs. Hojo shrieked, almost coming up out of her chair at him. Thankfully Mr. Hojo caught her. He didn't want two Hojo's in trouble with the law at once. One was more than enough.

"No, Officer Tantei, I don't believe he's on drugs."

"He's always had a crush on that Higurashi girl. I tried to get him to move on, but he's always wanted no one but her. I should have stopped him, made him face reality. I should have known. He's my son! Why didn't I see it? He's got pictures of her all over the ceiling above his bed! Why did I not see it? Why would I not question that? My baby… my baby's insane. My baby boy…" She collapsed into tears in her husband's arms just as Officer Nori was leaving the interrogation room. He opened the door to the observation room and nodded at Officer Tantei who knew exactly what he wanted. It was time to call the boys in the white coats. And maybe they should bring a tranquilizer or twelve with them.

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Author's Note:

Nori – rule, ceremony

Tantei - detective

Hiroshi - generous

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Can anyone tell me where the title to this chapter came from? (Besides you Jenna. I know you know)

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Everyone that is reading this should be thanking **Iloveprettysilverhair** for your ability to read this new chapter. If not for her then not only would the chapters not be on ASS, but they would not have been uploaded anywhere because I refuse to post everywhere but one site.

So everyone, go read her stories. I especially recommend **An Itch to Scratch** (complete 3 shot) and **Fancy Meeting You Here** (In progress chapter story). She has a completed chapter story called **Not Soon Forgotten**, and a oneshot called **Coming Out of the Closet**. And there is also a chapter story in progress called **Unexpected Circumstances**. I love them all! **Iloveprettysilverhair**, or Jenna as I like to call her (It's a hell of a lot shorter!), is basically my beta and she keeps me going when I get frustrated, and in return I beta her new chapters (mostly cuz I like the sneak peeks!). Her work is awesome and everyone who reads mine should go and read hers. And then review. And mention me so she knows how you found her.

**The Problem:** Ever since the server change over on A Single Spark I have had trouble loading the site, and now I can't load it at all. If you know how to fix it for me, please, please tell me! I've cleared the cache and cookies, deleted temporary internet files, hell, I even wiped the DNS files but I can't get anything but an error message saying the site couldn't be loaded. It's really beginning to piss me off and I'm like five minutes away from wiping my whole damn computer to see if that fixes the problem! So if there's a delay in the next chapters blame the stupid web browser or whatever is doing such a horrible thing to me!


	74. The Price of a Memory

**Chapter 74 – The Price of a Memory is the Memory of the Sorrow It Brings**

He wished he could forget. If he could only forget all the fun times they had together then maybe it wouldn't hurt so much. If he couldn't remember the time they'd spent together and the things they'd done then he wouldn't feel so alone all the time without her. He'd tried not to think about it, about her. He'd tried to think about school but he remembered how they would walk together and how they told each other about their day, their friends, their teachers, and everything else. He tried to think about the new video game he wanted but he remembered that in the game you fought demons, which made him think of her. He tried to think about his exams but he remembered his history test was on the feudal era and there he was thinking about Kagome again.

Finally he had decided to think about nothing at all, thinking that surely that was safe. Of course he didn't expect the older sister that walked into the park with her little brother. The little boy begged her to push him on the swings and she did, helping him up onto the empty swing next to Souta. As she pushed him he cried out for her to push him higher, that he wanted to touch the sky, and he was thinking about her again, about how she'd brought him to the park, about how she always pushed him on the swings and he always begged her to push him harder and harder, that he wanted to fly. Apparently the whole world was against him.

When he couldn't take the laughter and happiness anymore he got up and walked towards the jungle gym. He found a nice comfortable place to hide and crawled inside, pulling his knees up to his chest. And then he let it go. He let it all out, everything he fought to keep inside because he didn't want them to know. He didn't want his mother and Gramps to know he missed her so much, and he definitely didn't want Kagome to know. She would feel guilty for his sadness and it wasn't her fault, not really. She couldn't help that she got dragged into the feudal era. She couldn't help that the jewel was inside her body. She certainly didn't mean to break it, and it wasn't her fault that it was taking so long to collect the shards. No, Kagome didn't need to feel guilty and he wished he didn't have to feel so lonely and miserable without her. He let it all go, released all his pent up emotions, and Souta cried.

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Kagome couldn't help but yawn. Her Government class was boring and studying for the exam was even more so. She fought to keep her mind from wandering off as she worried about Rin. She couldn't figure out why she'd had that dream but she was sure there was a reason. She mentally slapped herself again when she realized her mind had floated away on her again. Thankfully she wasn't too bad at Government, even if she did miss most of the classes. It was a subject that she'd always found somewhat interesting, especially since she spent time in the feudal era. She found it intriguing to see how the government developed over time from what she saw there, well, then.

Sesshoumaru was sitting next to her, reading one of the books he'd chosen. It was the one that covered the earliest history among the ones he'd picked, and every now and then he would let out a little snort. Apparently he was finding discrepancies, though she'd expected no less. She couldn't help thinking that the sound was adorable. It was incredibly undignified but there was her great demon Lord of the Western Lands, snorting while he read. He probably didn't even know he was doing it.

After a while Sesshoumaru closed his book and got up. Telling her he would be downstairs silently he left the bedroom and made his way to the living room. He had to. He couldn't sit there next to her and not touch her a moment longer. After everything that had happened today, the sexy outfits, her getting injured, their time in the bathroom and then the dressing room; it took everything he had not to throw her down on the bed and strip her right there in front of her friends and anyone else who might have been interested. His brief taste of her after the taste of so much of her blood was driving his instincts insane. His beast was screaming to ensure that she still wanted them. He wanted Sesshoumaru to prove just how wonderful he could make her feel, and already he was making plans. Hopefully her friends wouldn't stay too late. He knew her tests started tomorrow but he was unsure of the time. He wanted her to be well rested but he wanted her to scream his name while in the highest peaks of pleasure multiple times first.

He was restless, and not just because he was incredibly aroused and dying to have her. He was also worried about the dream she'd had. Kagome had said that it hurt, that she could feel the pain, and he knew it was true because he had been able to sense her pain through their connection. What he didn't understand was how a dream could cause such pain and he didn't know why Kagome was having what obviously had to be Rin's dream. It made him worry about Rin. She'd never been apart from him from very long and he had been the only one able to calm her when she had the nightmares. If she was suddenly having them again for some reason then she might be inconsolable, but then Inuyasha would come if something serious like that was going on. He tried to tell himself that everything was fine but he couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't.

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Hiromi was humming to herself quietly as she checked on dinner. It would be finished soon and Souta was still at his friend's house. Pulling her oven mitts off, she picked up the phone and dialed a number off the list on the wall beside the phone. It rang twice before a familiar voice answered.

"Hello Naoko, it's Hiromi. Can you tell Souta that dinner is almost done and it's time for him to come home?"

There was an odd silence on the line for a moment before she spoke. "Hiromi, Souta isn't here. Ichirou got himself grounded last night and when Souta showed up this morning I told him he couldn't play. I thought he went home. He hasn't been home all day?"

Hiromi's eyes widened and she dropped the bowl she'd been pulling down from the cupboard to make a salad in. Sesshoumaru heard the crash and was there in an instant, looking at a pale Hiromi clutching the phone in one hand and the countertop in the other. "He didn't come home. Father would have told me if he had." She paused for a moment, trying to think of something to say or do, but she was frozen.

"If I see him I'll call you, Hiromi. And I'll ask Ichirou if he has any ideas where he might be. If you can't find him call me back and I'll help you look."

Kagome's mother's voice was weak when she replied. "Alright. Thank you," was all she said before hanging up the phone. She turned and saw Sesshoumaru watching her from the doorway.

"Do not move. There is glass everywhere and you have bare feet," the demon said before walking to the door and slipping his shoes back on his feet, ignoring the dangling laces. He walked into the kitchen, shards of glass crunching under his weight. When he reached her, Sesshoumaru picked her up gently by the waist like she weighed nothing more than a feather. He carried her out of the kitchen until he was certain there was no glass for her to step on and let her down slowly.

"Thank you," she said softly, still in a daze.

"What is wrong? What are you worried about?"

"Souta went to his friend's house this morning. He was going to stay there all day so I didn't give it a second thought. But I called and his mother said that he isn't there, that he hasn't been there since this morning when she told him he couldn't play with his friend because he was being punished. I don't know where he is. I don't know where my son is and it's getting dark!"

"Calm yourself. This Sesshoumaru will find him and bring him home safely."

"Are you sure?" she asked, causing him to lift a brow at her, making a face that clearly said 'do you honestly question my ability to find a small human boy?'

"I am certain I will find him unharmed. Will you be able to clean up the broken glass without injuring yourself? I can do so when I return if not."

"Oh, I can do that. It's no problem. But please, please find my baby."

"This Sesshoumaru will return with the boy in tow."

As Sesshoumaru walked out the front door, his shoe laces still trailing behind him, Hiromi slipped on her shoes and went to retrieve the broom and dustpan. She felt a great deal calmer. If Sesshoumaru said he would do something she was sure that he would.

Kagome had heard the crash and wasn't sure for a moment what to think. Eventually she decided to go check on it, only to find her mother sweeping up tiny shards of broken glass on the kitchen floor. "Is everything alright, Mama?"

"Oh, yes dear. Everything is fine." There was no need to worry Kagome. "My hands were wet and the bowl slipped. I shouldn't have been so careless."

"Do you need help?" Kagome asked, looking around suspiciously. "And where's Sesshoumaru?"

"Huh? No, honey I can handle it. You should be upstairs studying." Hiromi did her best to avoid her daughter's second question but from the look on her face Hiromi knew it wouldn't work. "Sesshoumaru went to look for Souta. He's not at his friend's house like he's supposed to be. Now go on upstairs and finish up your studying. Dinner will be ready soon and your friends will have to be heading home to eat with their families as well.

Kagome didn't like the idea of Sesshoumaru wandering around the city by himself, but she knew she could trust him and he'd promised to behave. She let out a sigh before turning around and heading back to her room. They only had a few more things to cover anyway and she couldn't wait to be done.

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It didn't take him long to sense the boy. He hadn't mentioned it to Kagome but her brother had a very large and strong aura like she did, which made him incredibly easy to locate. Sesshoumaru followed his senses and found him self looking at odd contraptions spread around some trees and a lot of grass. It took him a second to figure out where Souta was hiding but the scent of salt led him under the largest 'thing'. He crouched down and peered in at the boy who was curled up in a ball like he was trying to see just how small he could make himself. Souta didn't notice his presence so he spoke.

"Souta, your mother is very worried about you."

Souta almost jumped out of his skin at the deep voice that came seemingly out of nowhere. When he opened his eyes though, he saw the source. "What are you doing here?" he asked while wiping at his cheeks in a desperate attempt to hide his tears.

"I promised her I would find you. She believed you were at a friend's house but when she called you were not. And wiping them away will not hide your tears from this Sesshoumaru. Why are you crying?"

Souta let out a huff and looked away. "Why do you care?"

"This Sesshoumaru cares because you are a part of my pack."

This time he was intrigued and turned around to look at the demon who was taking his sister away even more than usual. "Your pack?"

"Yes. Kagome is the alpha female of my pack. The pack includes my family, Inuyasha and my sons, as well as those that I view as family, Rin and Shippo. It also includes Kagome's family, you, your mother, and your grandfather, and those Kagome sees as family, the slayer and the monk. As the alpha male it is my responsibility to protect and care for all members of my pack. So why are you upset?"

Souta sniffled and wiped at his nose with his shirtsleeve, making Sesshoumaru want to cringe. Runny noses were definitely not his thing. Demons didn't get the sniffles. "I… I've never told anyone but… I miss my sister. I miss her a lot. I don't want her to go. I want her to stay here and be my sister like she used to or take me with her!"

"It is not safe for you in my time. It is not even safe for her but she must go and so we protect her. I am certain that Kagome does not wish for you to see the world we live in. She wants to protect you from it. We live in a time of violence and bloodshed and here you can live without fear of being attacked by demons or bandits who kill with indifference."

"But she's never here! She used to do things with me. We used to talk. It's like she's got a whole new family and she's moving on without me."

"Your sister would never move on and leave you behind. I am certain that she misses you while you are apart just as much as you miss her."

"But she looks happy! She looks like it doesn't bother her a bit!"

"And do you show her how much you miss her? Or do you hide the truth so she is spared the guilt we both know she would feel? Perhaps she hides her feelings just the same. Kagome puts up a brave front but she has sadness and worries just like you do."

"You think so?" Souta asked with a pleading look.

"Your sister and I share a connection. I can feel her every emotion, I can sense when she's in danger, and we can communicate with each other silently. I know that she is hiding her sadness because I know it's there. Come, we must return to the shrine. Your mother is very worried about you. And dinner was almost ready when I left."

Souta smiled a little as he crawled out of his hiding place, wiping the dirt from his pants. It wasn't so bad now that he knew that she felt the same way. The idea that it didn't bother her at all had been the worst part, but knowing that she missed him like he missed her seemed to renew their sibling link. Now if he could only figure out a way to make it through the well.

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Kagome was waving good-bye to her friends from the front door when she saw two shadows approaching, one very tall and one short. "Mama! Sesshoumaru's back and he found Souta!" the miko called into the house before she ran outside. "Souta! Mama was worried sick about you! Where were you?"

Kagome's interrogation was soon joined by Hiromi and Souta looked up at the two women in his life. "I needed some time to think so I went to the park."

"Is everything alright? What'd you need to think about?" Kagome asked.

"Everything's fine. Sesshoumaru and I talked and I feel better now."

Kagome glanced up at Sesshoumaru, the look in her eyes declaring that he **would** tell her what he'd talked to Souta about. He merely smirked at her.

"Well, lets everyone get inside. Dinner's on the table. Souta, go wash your hands. You're filthy!" Hiromi ordered in a very motherly tone before heading back inside, Souta following behind her.

Sesshoumaru pulled Kagome close and leaned in to give her a soft kiss. "Your brother is more like you than you know."

"Is he now? Well, pray tell, how are we the same?"

"This Sesshoumaru does not betray confidences my little miko. Though perhaps I could be persuaded?"

Kagome blushed brightly before smacking his arm, causing him to smile devilishly at her. "You… are… a… bad… puppy… dog!" she said between pokes to his chest.

"Perhaps. And perhaps you are a very naughty little miko. Come. The sooner we eat dinner the sooner we can retire to your bed."

"I need a shower so bad! I still feel like I'm covered in blood." Noticing the glint in his eye she added, "And no, you're not helping this time, no matter how cute you look when you pout." She squealed as he reached for her, turning and running into the house, a smirking demon lord following behind in a much more dignified manner.

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The psychiatry ward of the local hospital had been contacted in regards to Hiroshi Hojo. His interview had given them more than enough evidence to have him held for testing and any treatment deemed necessary by the doctors. It was obvious that the boy was suffering from delusions or hallucinations as well as an incredibly unhealthy obsession with the Higurashi girl that he'd mentioned. The officers still intended to speak to Miss Higurashi and if possible the male Hojo had identified as not her boyfriend but a monster instead. They hoped to determine how far his obsession went as well as whether the incident he had described taking place in the service hall held any truth at all.

If Miss Higurashi had been somehow injured then she would have the opportunity to press charges for assault, though it was clear that any time spent incarcerated would more likely than not be spent in the Psych wing of the local jail where he would be taken after his evaluation at the hospital. They also planned on testing the blood on the knife. If Miss Higurashi was not injured or even present at the time of the incident then they still needed to know whose blood it was.

Hiroshi been kept in the interview room since the interview ended and he was beginning to get restless. He needed to be out there warning people, not sitting here staring at himself in the mirror for what seemed like hours. His parents had been informed as to the course of action the police were taking, and they'd left the observation room to wait back in the office they'd occupied earlier. Mrs. Hojo couldn't stand to sit and watch her son twitch and mumble. It was just too much to take. They'd warned about what was going to happen when the orderlies from the hospital arrived to take him in but that didn't make watching it any easier. No one could ever predict whether the subject that was suspected to be mentally ill would go quietly and obediently or if they would fight and attempt to escape. Everyone always hoped for the former but in reality it turned out that Hojo was the latter.

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Dinner had passed without incident and the entire family, Sesshoumaru included, had piled into the living room to watch the news. Kagome was curious to see if something about the mall was reported. Sesshoumaru had mentioned a lot of screaming from the food court when Hojo ran out there. The boy was definitely crazy enough to have caused some kind of scene. She was surprised though when the news report started.

"A crazed teen was arrested this afternoon after running through the mall food court holding a knife that appeared to be covered in blood. Several people were injured in the chaos that ensued as the mall patrons attempted to flee the area. While most were minor cuts and bruises, two were transported to the hospital, a woman with a broken arm and a young boy who had apparently fallen and subsequently been trampled. He was taken to the emergency room for testing but we've been told that he has already been released to his parents once they determined that he did not have any fractured or broken ribs as they had initially suspected.

The subject was taken into custody immediately, but the police have yet to release his identity. It is reported that he is a minor, and the police were forced to await parental permission before they could begin to question the boy.

We spoke with several witnesses, who all said that the boy had run from a service hall into the crowd. They have told us that he looked both frightened and frightening, especially as the knife he held was dripping with what appeared to be blood. While it is assumed there was a stabbing victim, one has yet to be located and no mall patrons have reported knife injuries. We'll have more for you when the police release the name of the suspect in custody and hopefully some information on both the missing victim and the reason behind the seemingly random incident."

Hiromi and Gramps both turned and looked at Kagome and Sesshoumaru in question, Souta following suite, and soon Kagome found her self explaining what had occurred with Hojo, both yesterday and today. By the time she was finished, the miko found that if at all possible she never wanted to hear the name Hojo again. Gramps apologized profusely for telling the boy where they were, but Kagome immediately told him it wasn't his fault. No one had been aware of Saturday's incident and not even Kagome herself knew just how far Hojo's obsession with her had gone until it was too late. Once everyone's questions had been answered Kagome excused Sesshoumaru and herself to bed for the night.

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Two very large men dressed in white made their way through the station, having been directed at the front desk to the interrogation room. One of them carried a large medic's bag, something they were lucky to have brought this time. As soon as the door opened and Hojo saw the two men entering he knew that something wasn't right. He immediately stood, his chair sliding across the floor and slamming into the wall behind him. He began to back slowly away from the men that had come to take him away. His mind whirled for a few moments before he fully understood.

"So they know then? The government knows about these things? And now you're going to lock me away so I can't tell anyone? I won't let you! I won't let you take me! The people deserve to know that there is something out there, something dangerous, and I have to tell them! I won't let you take me away!" Hojo now had his back flat against the wall furthest from the door and he was glancing quickly back and forth between the two large men and the door they'd closed behind them.

"Just calm down, kid. No one's here to hurt you. We just want to take you to the hospital and have you looked over. Then you can explain everything to the man there. He'll listen to you. He'll understand. But you need to calm down and come with us quietly."

"You're lying! I know you're lying! There's nothing **wrong** with me! I don't need to be '**checked over'**! You're going to lock me away somewhere to shut me up! Or, oh no! No! No! **No! No! No!** You're going to kill me aren't you? You're **one of them**. You both are! Please, I don't wanna die but the people need to know! You can't! **You can't bury the truth!!"**

The orderly on the right sighed and turned to the one on the left. "Looks like we're doing this the hard way. Grab the kit, would ya?" The other nodded, opening the door and retrieving the bag that had been left just outside the door in case something just like this occurred. "Look, kid. No one wants to kill you. We're not monsters. We work at the hospital."

"No! No! I know you're lying! You're both one of them! They've spread further than I thought!" The first orderly unzipped the bag and pulled out the largest item they carried and the one they had to use most often, the straightjacket. He quickly undid the straps and held it open the way he'd been trained to. This wasn't going to be fun but the boy wouldn't calm down and he refused to come quietly. Hojo's screaming could be heard throughout the entire precinct and soon his mother and father were standing in the doorway of the office they'd been sitting in, waiting and wondering just what was wrong with their son.

"Fuck!" another voice cried out from inside the room.

The boy just bit him! He couldn't believe that the boy really just bit him! And it was a good one too. He's successfully broken the skin which also put an instant end to Mr. Nice Orderly. Holding a gauze square over the bite that was going to need serious cleaning and bandaging, maybe even stitches, the injured orderly dug through the bag quickly, removing a preloaded syringe of a fast working tranquilizer. He nodded at his partner and in seconds Hojo was pinned to the wall face first. This time they weren't taking any chances. He was a mean little guy. They'd never expected him to fight dirty, and biting was definitely fighting dirty. While Hojo's much smaller body was pinned and immobile the injured orderly quickly injected his arm with the medicine.

It only took a minute for Hojo to go limp. They caught him under the arms and pulled him over to a chair, setting him down carefully. One held him up while the other slipped his arms into the straight jacket as was procedure. He'd fought them enough that they'd been forced to use a tranquilizer so it was required that he be restrained, just in case he woke up earlier than expected during transport, which could easily cause an accident. It was also a safeguard for the doctors that evaluated him upon his arrival. He had proven his capability for violence against the medical professionals and would be observed very closely from now on. He would not be given the opportunity to injure another of their staff.

The first orderly examined the fairly deep wound on his partner's arm before flushing the area with rubbing alcohol and wrapping an entire roll of gauze around it to help stop the bleeding before packing the bag back up and zipping it closed. He opened the door and quietly asked for another officer to assist him in moving the boy since his partner had been injured. The poor guy who suffered the Hojo bite carried the bag with his good arm and the second orderly and a large police officer carried the unconscious and seriously bound boy out of the room.

Mrs. Hojo, who had been crying silently throughout the struggle and subsequent silence almost fainted at the sight of her son in a straight jacket, obviously drugged with a trail of drool running from the corner of his mouth, being carried through the precinct and out the door. Her husband barley caught her and quickly led her back to a chair. "Everything will be fine, dear. They're going to find out what the problem is and they'll fix him. They'll fix our boy."

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Sesshoumaru followed her up the stairs, trying to prove that he didn't pout but it was rough going. She was going to be naked and wet and slippery and he was going to miss it! And they'd had so much fun in the shower the last time. So yes, the great taiyoukai Lord of the Western Lands and most powerful demon in Japan, if not the world, was pouting. But only a little! He didn't know why she didn't want him to join her but possible reasons began to flow into his mind and he didn't like them much.

The first and most disturbing was the thought that perhaps she was angry with him for allowing her to be injured but was hiding it. Or maybe she didn't enjoy their last shower as much as he'd thought? Was she punishing him for something? He was still torturing himself over the incident at the mall. Maybe she didn't trust him anymore? Of course then he remembered that if she was angry he would be able to tell, so that couldn't be it. And he knew that she'd enjoyed the shower because he'd felt it. She said she still trusted him and he hadn't sensed a lie. He relaxed a bit and took the time to examine what he **was** receiving through their connection. She was tired, uncomfortable, most likely because of the remaining blood, and just a little bit excited. Excited? What was she excited about then? Was his little vixen of a miko planning something? When they entered her room he let out a sigh and she giggled.

"I think my big strong demon can be a little patient, can't he?" she asked teasingly.

"This Sesshoumaru does not enjoy waiting when it comes to you, little miko."

"Well that's just too bad, cuz you're going to have to. Why don't you make yourself comfortable while I'm in the bathroom. Maybe warm the sheets up for me?" She smiled seductively, reaching out and opening his pants quickly before turning away. He heard the click of the lock as she ensured their privacy and he smirked. So she was planning something. The second click of a lock however made him frown. She'd locked him out of the bathroom. Deciding he wanted to be ready for her when she returned he pulled his shirt over his head and allowed his now loose pants fall to the floor around his feet. He couldn't decide whether to leave the boxers on or off. After a few moments of consideration he decided to hope for the best and took them off as well.

Kagome smiled as she stepped under the hot water. Not only did it feel wonderful but she was feeling rather proud of herself. He hadn't noticed and she was actually going to get the chance to surprise him. She took her good sweet time, washing her hair three times before the water ran clear which caused her to make a face. How much blood had she lost? Because there was an awful lot of it in her hair! Once she was certain that her hair was now blood free she slowly washed her body, closing her eyes and imagining it was him touching her. Of course if she wanted it, he really could be touching her but she wanted him to feel her excitement and her arousal growing while he waited for her. He was sure to be very eagerly awaiting her return. She let out a little moan as she ran her hands over her breasts, gently lathering them but at the same time feeling his large hands sliding over her heated flesh, made even more so by the near scalding temperature of the water. When she decided that he'd probably suffered enough she rinsed quickly and turned off the water.

He had felt it as her arousal grew the longer she was in the other room. Just what was she doing in there anyways? Why was a shower getting her so aroused? He found himself wondering if she was pleasuring herself, his mind providing a rather tempting image that was only made better when he heard her small moan. Now he wanted to see, wanted to watch her touch herself, and he made a mental note to remember to do so when the sound of the shower stopped. His eyes shot to the door, hoping she would be coming out covered in nothing but droplets of water, but what he got was even better and well worth the short wait. How she'd managed it he didn't know but the how didn't matter. Not even a tiny bit.

Kagome was rather proud of herself. The look in his eyes was well worth the trouble of sneaking the little black and red babydoll out of the bag without him noticing and the lonely shower too. He looked like he was going to tackle her and eat her whole, like a nice juicy extra rare steak was being held just out of reach of a starving animal. She smirked as she leaned on the doorjamb, the slight tilt of her hips causing her breasts to stand out just a bit more. "See something you like?"

A low rumbling began to rise up in his chest and he did nothing to restrain it. He felt it rather appropriate for him to be making that sound, the sound that was designed to lure one's desired female closer. He watched as her smirk turned a little more seductive and she began to walk slowly towards him. He noticed she seemed a bit taller than he remembered and found himself glancing down her form. Her legs looked amazing and he soon discovered the cause for the difference. She was wearing the most ridiculous pair of shoes he had ever seen, but damned if the high heel didn't force her to carry herself just a bit differently, as well as tighten her calves in a deliciously interesting way. When she walked her hips shifted more than normal, drawing attention to her barely covered and absolutely beautiful ass, something she was so kind as to show him by turning slowly in front of him where she stood next to the bed.

When the ability to form words finally returned to him, Sesshoumaru found himself swallowing before he spoke. Damn was she making his mouth water! "This Sesshoumaru sees many… **many**… things he likes. You are a sneaky little one, aren't you?" he asked with a grin. She was perfect in so many ways. Her body was perfect. She was intelligent and strong willed, both perfect. But this new side of her he was beginning to see, this seductress standing before him, hips tilted and feet set a bit apart allowing him a view of the barely hidden treasure that was releasing the most amazing aroma of her arousal, was definitely perfect. He could only begin to imagine the things he wanted to do with her, new ideas popping up all the time.

And ideas weren't the only thing to be popping up, as Kagome noticed the very obvious proof of her success in her mission to arouse him. He was most definitely aroused. She didn't think it was even possible but it appeared to her that the tent in the sheet was even bigger than it had been the night before.

She made a move to kneel on the bed but he stopped her. "Stay standing," he murmured before sliding towards the edge of the bed. He dropped his feet to the floor, sitting up to find himself eye to eye with her covered breasts. Sesshoumaru allowed his face to move closer until he pressed his lips to her exposed abdomen. He lavished her with hot, wet kisses, allowing his hands to slip under the material that hung open from her breasts down, his claws trailing carefully over her sides and lower back before cupping her round, bare cheeks.

"This Sesshoumaru owes great thanks to whoever invented the 'thong'. As impractical as it seemed, it is a very useful thing after all, Kagome." he looked up into her eyes, his cheek brushing her heated flesh. "You look… you look absolutely… mmm," a murmuring growl escaped him as he tried to think of the perfect word to describe her. "absolutely… **edible**." She moaned softly as he gave her soft ass a squeeze. Leaning down again, he trailed his tongue around her belly button and up the middle of her stomach until he found his destination between her breasts where the incredibly arousing bit of cloth was held closed with nothing but strings tied in a bow.

Kagome let out a squeal as she was lifted off the ground and found herself perched over his lap on her knees. She could feel the heat of his erection pressed against her, the thin fabric doing nothing to hinder it. It actually made it feel interesting. The front of the thong between their bodies created a new friction when she shifted her hips experimentally.

"Kagome," he whispered, causing her to look back at his eyes. Now that he had her attention he opened his mouth slightly, grasping one of the tails of the little bow between his teeth and giving it a firm but slow tug. When he felt the fabric go slack he used his nose to push it open more and reveal the creamy skin of her breasts, tipped with very apparent dark pink peaks. She watched intently as his tongue flicked out and barely touched her right nipple. Her hands wound into his hair and she pulled his head rather roughly back to her breast, intent on him paying more… much more… attention to them both.

He groaned against her skin at her forcefulness. It was incredibly sexy, having such a small and delicate female taking control. He was always in control, always in charge, and he was beginning to discover that relinquishing said control to his tease of a miko was surprisingly pleasurable. When he'd lay back for her and allowed her to explore his body, when she sat above him in the dominant position, the one that **he** was **supposed** to be in, it turned him on more than anything had before, or at least before he felt her force his lips to her breasts with a tight hold and firm tug on his hair. That turned him on even more. She ground her hips against his, the silky fabric sliding against his now painfully hard member. He found himself wondering, while lavishing her breasts with continuous attention of course, if she would touch him again tonight. He wondered if he could find a way to convince her to 'force' him to taste her. Maybe if he teased her enough she would do as she had just a moment ago. His entire body shivered at the thought.

Her fingers loosened in his hair, disappointingly ending the mild but incredibly pleasurable pain in his scalp. He moaned in disappointment, allowing his hands to slide from their place on her ass down her soft, smooth, long, tan legs. How he loved her legs, especially how they felt wrapped around his body. He found himself wishing that he didn't have to follow all the courting steps as he was dying to just take her and make her his mate but he knew it was better this way. She would be ready then and everything would go perfectly. He almost couldn't wait to feel the slick heat as he pushed inside her tight, virgin passage. If it wasn't for his extensive training in self control he would have already.

He wanted to smile as she seemed to read his mind, pushing him to lay back on the bed while she scooted backwards just a bit more, her knees precariously close to the edge of the mattress. He shuddered in pleasure as she gave him a sexy smirk and reached down to wrap her small hand around his length. "You're not gonna stop me this time, right?" she said softly while giving a rough squeeze and looking straight into his eyes. The groan that escaped him at her less than gentle treatment was all the answer he could manage. "You like that?" She squeezed him a bit harder and his eyes rolled back in his head. "I guess so," she murmured to herself more than him. He wasn't listening anyways.

Kagome began to move her hand in long slow strokes, tightening her hold randomly and getting a positive response every time. He could already feel the pressure building but he wasn't ready yet. He didn't want to finish before she did. He wanted her muscles quivering and her body shivering from the heat of the passion he poured into her. As his mind called up an image he quite enjoyed and wished to repeat, Kagome held him almost as tightly as her hand could, this time not releasing the pressure but continuing her stroking instead. The combination of the thought of her kneeling over his face and the slight pain and amazing pleasure caused his hips to buck. His eyes widened as she let out a squeak, let go, and disappeared from sight. For a moment he thought she was injured but as he sat up Kagome began giggling from where she know knelt on the floor. "I guess I shouldn't kneel on the edge of the bed while I do that, huh?" she said, blushing and laughing at the same time.

"Perhaps not," he said with a smile. "Did you hurt yourself?"

"Nope," she said brightly. "There was a nice convenient pile of clothes right here on the floor. It would have hurt if I'd hit the wood floor. Definitely gonna be more careful."

She moved to stand up and found herself lifted into his lap again. "Those shoes cannot be comfortable."

"They aren't really. Why? Don't you like them?"

"This Sesshoumaru finds them very attractive, but it is time for them to come off," he said while slipping the straps of the babydoll that had been hanging open down her shoulders before tossing it to the side. "This too," he said while slipping a single digit under her panties, brushing through her curls.

"You might actually have to let me go to take 'em off," she said in a teasing tone, knowing and loving the fact that he didn't want to release her. Sesshoumaru let go of her hips and lay back on the bed, his arms over his head and hands under it. She scooted off his lap carefully, not wanting a repeat performance of the laws of gravity at the moment. She sat next to him and undid the clasps on her shoes, one by one allowing them to fall to the floor. Standing once more she hooked her thumbs in the sides of her thong, watching as his eyes followed it down her legs until it dropped to the floor.

"Come here," he said in a deep, needy voice. "I can't take it anymore." She approached warily, unsure just **what** he couldn't take anymore. "Nervous? I only wish to taste you, Kagome. Come here," he repeated, gesturing for her to sit across his stomach like she had so many times before in the past few days. He let out a groan of appreciation as her heat pressed against his skin. He could feel how aroused, how wet she was for him and he couldn't wait to slide his tongue inside her for a nice long taste.

When he started to pull her up his chest she recognized what he was planning and grabbed his hands. "Nuh unh. Not quite. As much as I love looking into your eyes while you do that, I can barely touch you at all."

He considered her statement, finding that he most definitely wanted her to continue touching him. "Turn around."

"Huh?"

"Move for a moment," he said, deciding on a different tactic. She threw her leg over so that she knelt beside him and he sat up. "Kneel here," he said while guiding her as she scooted into position. "Now don't move," was all he said before laying back again. She looked down and watched as he slipped his head beneath her, brushing through her curls with his nose playfully before fully taking up his new position. As his tongue slipped out to trace the deliciously moist line where he folds met he allowed his hands to move up and rest on her hips before sliding them up her sides until he was cupping her breasts, rolling her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers and loving how her back arched, pushing her closer to his waiting mouth.

Once she managed to focus for a moment Kagome realized that this was perfect. She leaned forward a bit, extending her hands until her fingers just brushed his soft white fur before pulling them back towards her, raking her nails across his abdomen and chest and leaving rapidly fading red lines. She could feel as he growled in pleasure, the vibrations spreading through her entire body. She shifted slightly, holding her already shaking body up with one arm while her other hand wrapped firmly around him once again. The growl got a bit louder and she gasped, her hand tightening even more reflexively.

It was the best of both worlds in his opinion. He could taste her to his hearts content, and he planned on it, wanting to make her scream his name over and over again, and she was touching him, her hand moving and tightening in response to his actions. He could feel her legs quivering and knew she was close. One hand slid down the front of her body, trailing one claw teasingly over her skin, before slipping through her curls and rubbing roughly on her clit. Her whole body shook as she cried out, not able to even think about keeping quiet let alone doing it. Thankfully he'd thought of that for her and had already erected a sound proof barrier around them. He continued to slide his tongue in and out of her, savoring the wonderful flavor of her pleasure, and kept up his less than gentle pressure on her clit, sending her right back over the edge again.

This time he allowed her to come down gently, slowing and softening his movements. He smirked as he felt her body collapse forward, feeling her head lying on his hip. Her hands clung to the outsides of his thighs, nails digging in sharply and he almost jumped beneath her as he felt her hot breath against his still very aroused shaft. She moaned against his skin and he flicked his tongue across her now oversensitive clit to make her do it again. She smiled against his skin as she opened her eyes, her right hand slipping from his left side to wrap around him once again. They moved together, as his tongue slipped into her twitching passage her hand slid down, and when he withdrew her hand stroked up. It created the feeling that he was sliding in and out of her body instead of just his tongue, and he found himself very close to the edge again.

This time he was going to let go though. This time he was going to allow her to bring him to completion like he'd done for her. His tongue's movements lost their fluid rhythm as a growl started to grow stronger and stronger the closer he got. The vibrations caused her back to arch and she pushed herself up on one arm again, never slowing her movements. She wanted to see. She knew he was close and she wanted to watch the first time she made him cum like this. She had to fight to keep her eyes open as the vibrations of his growling and rapid movements of his tongue pushed her unexpectedly into ecstasy again, her hand tightening painfully around him. That little touch of pain was all he needed and his entire body tensed beneath her while Kagome watched in fascination as he released the evidence of his orgasm, whitish and creamy looking, and it slowly covered her hand.

She could feel him panting against her, his entire body now limp beneath her kneeling form. Curious, since she'd read in magazines and heard friends and classmates talking about how it tasted, she slowly slid her hand from his now semi-erect shaft, feeling his entire body twitch as her hand brushed the sensitive head. She brought it closer to her face and looked at it for a moment before snaking her tongue out and licking his seed from her hand.

When his mind came back into focus he realized that she hadn't moved beyond releasing him and he suddenly found himself worried that she was upset or disgusted. He had to see her, had to look into her eyes. 'Kagome," he said in her mind while pressing a gentle kiss to her beautiful folds.

Figuring he probably wanted to breathe, Kagome lifted herself off him and to the side, never removing her focus from the thick fluid coating her hand. When he caught sight of her and the way she appeared to be staring he started to apologize, though he didn't get far before his words caught in his throat when she slid her tongue out and tasted it. He didn't think he'd ever seen something quite so… so erotic and reassuring at the same time. She didn't make a face. She didn't seem angry, upset, uncomfortable, or disgusted. Instead, she did it again. He groaned as his entire body twitched with an aftershock inspired by her action.

"Kagome?" he asked softly, not wanting to interrupt but oh so wanting to see her eyes while she licked her hand clean of his seed. She looked up, seeing the heat in his eyes, and grinned at him before licking her hand again, this time slower.

"Not too bad," she said softly. "Actually tastes kinda good." She took another long drag of her tongue before continuing. "It's… it… it tastes like you. That's the only way I can think of to explain it. It's so you, a little stronger but the same as your skin tastes. And your skin tastes delicious." He watched her in silence as she finished cleaning her hand completely before he buried a hand in her hair and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply and passionately. He could taste himself on her tongue mixing with the ambrosia that was her flavor. Kagome could taste herself as well and it didn't bother her a bit. It just seemed right for those two unique flavors to blend.

When he finally released her to allow her to breathe he looked at her with awe in his eyes. "That has got to be the sexiest thing I have ever seen," his whispered against her skin as he pulled her form close to his before throwing the sheet over their still heated bodies. No blankets would be necessary tonight.

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As night settled in around them the tired group drifted off to sleep one by one. Inuyasha was the last to close his eyes, and the sight of the bright star filled sky stayed with him as he slipped into his dreams.

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Author's Note:

Naoko – honest child

Ichirou – one son

If you would like to be emailed when a new chapter has been posted, either review with your email address included or email me at SunsetMiko' at aol 'dot com' (take out the apostrophes. It's quite hard to get any address to show on this site) and say that you wish to be added to She Who the Prophecy Foretold Updates List. Please remember to include your email address if you choose to do this through reviews as most sites don't allow me to determine your email address from your User ID. readers, fanfiction dotnet users, if you do this in a review, you have to type out the email address like I did because the system removes emails and web addresses.


	75. Dangers in Dreaming

**Chapter 75 – Dangers in Dreaming**

Souta was tossing and turning in his bed. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. It was like he was just off to the side, but he couldn't make them hear him no matter how loud he yelled. He couldn't make them see him no matter how many times he waved his hands in their faces. He was on the outside looking in and he couldn't warn them. At first he hadn't the slightest idea where he was but after looking around and taking in those standing around him Souta decided that he had to be in the feudal era.

Sesshoumaru was there, standing tall, wearing his armor and swords. Behind him were seven boys that he'd never seen before, but just from their appearances they had to be Sesshoumaru's sons. He recognized Shippo, Miroku, and Sango from the pictures Kagome had taken for her scrapbook. There was a little girl too, and he figured she had to be Rin. An ugly, short little green thing with huge yellow eyes was just behind and off to the side of Sesshoumaru's left leg. He didn't have a clue as to who that was. Then there was Kirara in her tiny form, Kazue too, and a rather large two headed dragon. Finally, Inuyasha stood next to his brother as they all watched in silence.

Kagome took a few steps forward, and no matter how loud he yelled he couldn't get through to her. She couldn't! She just couldn't touch it! Horrible things would happen if she did, but there was no way to stop her. Souta watched in defeat, tears streaming down his cheeks, as she took what was offered to her. She dropped to her knees and emptied the small bag on the ground before her. Souta rushed to kneel beside her. Maybe he could stop her. Maybe he could make her see or hear him. He had to keep trying! He just had to! His sister was in danger and she had no idea. No one did, as everyone was still just watching her, each ready incase she needed defended from those who brought the thing, but they made no move to keep her from touching it.

Kneeling to her right, Souta looked down at the five tiny objects. He could see it. He could see the blackness, the evil inside one of them. Four gave just a pale purplish shimmer, but the fifth, that was the dangerous one. It was full of ill-intent, ready and waiting to deliver it on his sister.

Souta was whimpering as he thrashed under the sheets. His forehead was beaded with sweat and his cheeks were stained with trails of tears. His hands reached out to stop it but found nothing but air. His whimpering got louder and louder until Hiromi could hear him through their shared wall. She jumped out of bed and pulled on her robe as she moved quickly in the dark. Opening her son's door, she flipped on the light and sat on the edge of his bed.

"Souta? Souta, honey, you need to wake up," she said in a soothing tone. She didn't want to scare him further but she needed to help him escape from whatever it was that was frightening him so badly. She gently grasped his shoulders and shook him slightly. "Souta, it's just a dream. You need to wake up." Just when she was about to shake him again his eyes shot open and met hers. What she saw there frightened her more than just a little bit. Her son's eyes, his brown eyes, were no longer brown at all. As she stared into the blue that reminded her of both Kagome and her husband she fought to keep from crying.

He'd never said anything about Souta. He never warned her. It wasn't fair, not in the slightest. They were already taking her only daughter and now they were going to take her son away too? She didn't think she could stand it. She couldn't live without both her children. Living without their father was hard enough.

When he finally realized that he was safe in his bed, in his room, in his house, and in his time Souta let out a sigh of relief. It was just a dream. Kagome was safe in her room down the hall. Nothing was about to hurt her. His sister was just fine. When he looked into his mother's eyes though, for a second he thought that it hadn't been a dream after all. She looked terrified and so sad too.

"Mama?" he asked in a whisper. "Mama, what's wrong? Is Kagome alright?"

"Kagome? Yes, Souta, your sister's fine. You were just having a nightmare. What was it about, Souta? Tell me what happened in your dream."

The boy closed his eyes for a moment, trying to remember. It was like it was just out of reach, and every time he moved closer to catch it the memory floated further from his grasp and faded away just a bit more. "I… I can't remember, Mama. I know Kagome was in it… and there was something… something I had to stop her from… I… I don't know."

"It's alright, sweetheart. If you can't remember then you can't remember. It was just a dream." Her voice was quivering as she tried to soothe her son. He was too young for this. They couldn't have him. The Kamis just couldn't have him. She wouldn't let them take him too. She refused. As she calmed herself mentally she heard her little boy let out a sigh. She focused on his face once more and when his eyes opened she really did start to cry.

Seeing his mother break down in tears was something he'd never experienced before. She was always so strong. "Mama? Are you alright?" He sat up in his bed and wrapped his arms around her. "Why are you crying, Mama? What's wrong?"

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Hiromi whispered as her arms wrapped around her son and she held him tightly. "Thank you."

"Mama?"

"It's alright sweetheart. I'm fine. Everything is fine." And it was for the moment, because when Souta had opened his eyes once again, she didn't see the ocean blue of her daughter or husband but the dark chocolate brown of her own eyes. Whatever had just taken place, for whatever reason, she was given a reprieve. He wasn't going to be taken away from her, at least not soon, which was all she could really ask for, more time. If he had to go then he had to go, but at least she knew that she had more time. She released him after pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Go back to sleep honey. You've got school in the morning." She closed his door quietly before returning to her own room and her empty bed.

Souta didn't protest as he lay back down, resting his head on his pillow. He couldn't remember a thing from his dream. All the fear and worry he'd been filled with when he first woke had disappeared completely. He wondered for just a moment what had upset his mother so much but his tired mind won out in the end. Just before he closed his eyes in sleep he glanced out his bedroom window, the glow of the moon reflecting, just for an instant, off of bright blue eyes.

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It was happening again. She was running through the forest path, the wolves nipping at her heels. No matter how hard she tried to run faster they were still gaining on her. She knew what was coming but couldn't prevent it when she tripped and fell. Again there was the pain, the agonizing unimaginable pain as she felt their fangs sink into her flesh, tearing at her. They were eating her alive! Then the pain seemed to fade away. Finally she couldn't feel it anymore and slowly the darkness crept into her vision until there was nothing but black.

Kagome shot upright in her bed, panting and covered with sweat. Sesshoumaru was sitting beside her, a concerned look in his eyes. He'd tried but he had been unable to wake her from the dream. He knew she was suffering, terrified and overwhelmed with pain but he couldn't help her escape it. He couldn't protect her from her dreams, no matter how much he wished he could. His great strength and power were useless against the torments of her own mind.

"Was it the same?" he asked her quietly, not wanting to startle her like he had the last time she woke from her nightmare.

She only nodded before slipping out of the bed. He watched her naked form as the moonlight shimmered and reflected off of the fine layer of sweat that covered her. Kagome disappeared into the bathroom and he could hear the sound of running water. He rose and walked into the smaller room behind her, seeing her splashing water on her face. When she looked up she was startled by the sight of him standing directly behind her in the mirror. "You scared the crap out of me," she mumbled, her hand on her chest as if trying to slow her racing heart. A low moan slipped from her lips as he slid his arms around her body and pulled her to his hard chest.

"This Sesshoumaru did not intend to frighten you." One hand moved up to lightly cup a breast and her head rolled to the side, allowing him to place soft kisses on the curve of her throat. "I am concerned about the nightmares you are having. You should not be able to experience true pain in a dream."

"It's not a dream," she whispered. "It's a memory. It's Rin's memory, of her death, of the pain and the fear. She experienced it then and then she had to suffer it over and over as dreams. It's not fair. There has to be a way to stop them."

"They stopped on their own before. If she is indeed having them again, we will find a way to help her sleep safely."

Kagome nodded and examined the mirror in front of them. "You're tall," she murmured.

He smirked before returning to his task of tasting the sweat on her skin. In between kisses his tongue snaked out and traced a hot path on her tingling flesh.

"And you have a serious oral fixation."

He lifted an eyebrow at her and she giggled. "This Sesshoumaru cannot resist the taste of you. And the view is quite enjoyable as well. Perhaps we should spend more time in front of this mirror," he said with a naughty smirk.

"Not now. I need to be asleep right now, not being groped by an eternally horny dog demon."

"Another time then?" his deep voice asked slowly, his breath brushing against her ear.

"Of course," she whispered back before slipping out of his arms. He allowed her to go reluctantly and followed her as she returned to the bedroom. He watched as she pulled on a long nightgown, silently mourning the covering of such a delicious sight. "I need to get a bottle of water. Do you want anything while I'm downstairs?"

"This Sesshoumaru will accompany you."

She shook her head. "There's no reason for us both to go. You get back in bed. I'm a big girl. I can go downstairs alone. I'll be right back."

He frowned but he allowed her the privacy she apparently desired. The taiyoukai lay back down, resting his head on the pillows and stared at the ceiling. He needed to find some way to stop the dreams. When it had been just a one time thing it didn't bother him as much as it did now that she'd had it twice in one day. It had to mean something, but he couldn't figure out what.

As she made her way down the stairs into the darkness Kagome thought. _'Something's not right. I'm worried about Rin. Maybe Sesshoumaru should go check on the kids while I'm at school tomorrow.'_ She didn't bother to flip the switch as she entered the kitchen, instead just allowing the illumination from the city lights that shone through the windows guide her. She squinted a bit as she opened the refrigerator door and the kitchen was bathed in a yellowish glow. She leaned in and grabbed a bottle of water before moving to look out the kitchen window towards the well house. She shifted to lean her elbows on the counter. "Shit!" she cried out a little louder than she'd intended. "Damn it," she whispered to herself.

Just like she'd expected, Sesshoumaru was at her side in a second. He'd felt her pain and heard her exclamation and when he entered the kitchen he could smell her blood. "You seem to have a habit of being injured," he said with a smirk before lifting her up to sit on the counter. He flipped on the light before inspecting her foot. There was a tiny trail of blood running from her big toe down the sole of her foot, a small shard of glass peeking out from her skin. Apparently her mother had missed a bit. "This may hurt," he warned her before he carefully took hold of the bit of glass with the tips of his claws and pulled it out, setting it on the countertop a ways away from where she sat.

She hissed in pain, but was surprised when it ended suddenly. Realizing her toe felt oddly warm Kagome looked down to see her inu taiyoukai with her big toe in his mouth. She tried, really she did, but she couldn't help but burst out laughing at the sight. She felt as his tongue slipped across the small wound a few more times before he released it and studied it closely once more. He gave a small nod before standing upright again, stepping between her legs and pulling her close to him. Looking down, Kagome was relieved to see that he'd taken the time to pull on pajama pants before his dash downstairs. She really didn't want to have to explain a naked demon in the kitchen if anyone else had heard her and came to investigate. She kissed him softly but a moment later her back stiffened and Sesshoumaru's head turned quickly to look out the window.

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It was happening again. She was running through the forest path, the wolves nipping at her heels. No matter how hard she tried to run faster they were gaining on her. She knew what was coming but still couldn't stop it when she tripped and fell. Again there was the pain, the agonizing unimaginable pain as she felt their fangs sink into her flesh, tearing at her. They were eating her alive! Then the pain seemed to fade away. Finally she couldn't feel it anymore and slowly the darkness crept into her vision until there was nothing but black.

Rin shot up with a gasp, her eyes wild as she searched the clearing. Without a second thought the little girl was up and running, moving as swiftly as her little legs would carry her. She couldn't do this. She couldn't have these dreams again every night. She couldn't make it without her Lord Sesshoumaru, her Papa, and she found that she really wanted her Mama too. She needed those warm protective arms around her. Sure, Inuyasha was alright and he was trying to make her feel better, but it just wasn't the same. Rin glanced behind her, half expecting to see the wolves chasing her again. Finally she could see it. She didn't bother to slow down, instead just taking a running jump before her little body descended into the dark depths of the Bone Eater's Well.

Inuyasha shifted a bit in his sleep. Something felt off, but he'd had the same feeling for the last two nights so he attributed it to the small but annoying ache of a missing Kagome. He didn't notice that their camp was missing their other, much smaller miko as his mind relaxed once more, allowing him to slip into his dreams again.

There was a bright flash of blue light in the clearing for a moment but then there was nothing. No cries of an injured little girl, no sickening thud that would have signaled her hitting the bottom, nothing. But five hundred years in the future in that very same spot there was a little girl who found herself in absolute darkness. She couldn't see the sky above her like she'd expected. There was no light from stars. She couldn't see a thing and it terrified her already frightened mind. She slid down the wall, pulling her knees to her chest, and she cried.

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At first she thought she'd imagined it but from the look on his face something or someone had just come through the well. Sesshoumaru's voice was barely a whisper as he said, "Inuyasha… something must be wrong."

When he went to pull away and head to the well house he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. "It's not Inuyasha. It's Rin," Kagome said in surprise before running past him, grabbing a flashlight on the way out the back door. She turned it on while she sprinted across the shrine courtyard and she almost slammed into the sliding doors of the small wooden building when she tried to stop. She threw them open in an instant. "Rin?" she called out into the darkness.

Sesshoumaru was behind her, surprised that she was moving quite so fast. He almost hadn't been able to catch up in their short run. When he entered the dark little wooden room he could hear the shuffle of Kagome's feet as she hopped down the stairs.

"Mama?" a little voice echoed up from the depths of the dry well.

Kagome was at the edge of the well now and shined her light down, hoping to find Rin unharmed. "Rin! What are you doing here? What's wrong?" She could see the tears glistening on the child's cheeks and her heart twisted in her chest.

"Mama!" Rin gasped out. "Mama, I was so scared! They were chasing me again!"

Sesshoumaru stood beside Kagome and looked down at the human girl he loved as a daughter, seeing her tormented eyes. "Rin, everything will be alright, but you must calm yourself."

"Papa?"

Kagome took over again. They needed to get her out of the well and she didn't want to risk another trip across time by jumping in. "Rin, can you see the ladder?" Kagome shined the light on the ladder her grandfather had put in for her and watched as Rin took a few small steps over to it. "Climb up, sweetheart. Everything's going to be fine."

Rin's shoulders shook with silent sobs but she began to climb. She only needed to go up three rungs before she felt hands grabbing her wrists. She was lifted out of the darkness and into her Mama's arms effortlessly, as if the girl weighed no more than a grain of rice. Rin threw her arms around Kagome's neck and held tight. "I… I had the dream… again," she said between sniffles.

"I know, sweetheart. I had it too. It's alright. It's not real, Rin. I know it's scary and it hurts but it's just a dream, just your mind replaying a memory. That is never going to happen to you again. You're safe and you're strong. You just have to remember that. It isn't really happening. It's all just a bad memory."

Sesshoumaru leaned in and wrapped his arms around Kagome so that Rin was cradled between their bodies. When she felt him there, the little girl twisted and wrapped one arm around his neck in a vice like grip, her other still holding on to Kagome. "Shall we go inside?" he asked softly.

Kagome nodded her agreement and tried to move, finding herself rooted to her place. "Rin, honey. You've got to let one of us go so we can go inside." There was a little sigh and a sniffle before Sesshoumaru was released and both arms were around Kagome once again. There was a tiny pang of jealousy for a moment that his little girl had chosen Kagome over him, but he pushed it away. It was ridiculous to be jealous over the attentions of the daughter they now shared. Kagome was already walking up the few wooden stairs and he moved to follow her. He slid the doors closed quietly and walked along behind the two most important girls in the world. He closed the back door and grabbed Kagome's forgotten bottle of water before heading up the stairs and into Kagome's bedroom.

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A pair of ocean blue eyes opened, staring up into the darkness. He'd felt it when she disappeared from this world, from this era, and found himself wondering how she'd known that she could pass through the well. He was worried, not knowing why she would have jumped into the well in the dead of night. He wondered what Hiromi would think when she saw the little girl. The resemblance was uncanny, Rin looking just like a young Kagome, right down to the brown eyes. It had been her eyes that let him know it was time for him to go, to return to the past. When Kagome's eyes started changing, brown one second and blue the next, he knew that it had been set in motion.

He wondered how long it would be until Rin's changed too. It couldn't be too far off if she passed through the well successfully. He sighed as he thought of his wife. He hadn't had the nerve to tell her. It had been hard enough to explain to her why their daughter would be different. He couldn't tell her that not only was he leaving, not only would Kagome's life take an unexpected course, but that their son would as well. It would be happening to Souta soon as well, if it hadn't already. He could only hope and pray that she would forgive him for not warning her. He knew she would recognize the signs. He knew she would figure it out.

Yes, it was Kagome's path to walk, but she didn't have to walk it alone. She had her friends and her new family that the feudal era had provided. She had the four parts of her heart, her seven treasures, Rin, her kitsune son, and her brother. When the time came, it would be only Souta who could save her. It would be the bond between siblings that would keep her from being lost forever to the darkness and eternal torment she would suffer without him, her salvation from the worst evil imaginable. And Rin had her part to play as well.

He closed his own blue, but once brown, eyes against the darkness, hoping and silently praying that Hiromi would understand… and that he would someday have the chance to explain it to her. She, at the very least, deserved an explanation.

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Kagome flipped on the small lamp on her desk before she sat down on the edge of her bed, Rin still in her arms. Sesshoumaru closed the door behind him and sat down next to her. Neither knew quite what to say. Really, how do you soothe a little girl who was reliving her own excruciatingly painful death in her dreams? It was a fairly unique situation and the solution was not forthcoming.

It was Sesshoumaru who finally spoke. "Rin, how did you get to the well?"

Wide brown eyes looked up at him as she removed her face from Kagome's throat. "Rin was scared. Rin just ran."

"But how did you know the well would let you through?" Kagome asked curiously.

Rin turned and looked into Kagome's worried eyes. "Rin… doesn't know. Rin needed her Mama and Papa."

Kagome felt a wave of guilt overtake her. If she'd been there, or if Sesshoumaru had stayed in the past with the children then Rin wouldn't have been so frightened. She wouldn't have run from the safety of their camp through the dark dangerous and demon filled woods and jumped into a well that might not let her pass. Her little body could be lying bleeding and broken in the depths of the Bone Eater's Well in the past. Kagome found herself silently thanking every Kami she could think of that the well **had** let her pass. Sesshoumaru's thoughts were following a similar path, chastising himself for leaving the children under the care and protection of another as well as wishing he had warned Inuyasha about it. But the dreams had stopped so long ago he hadn't even thought of them as a possible issue his brother might deal with. They both stopped their self-deprecating thoughts when they heard a tiny yawn.

Kagome smiled before carefully shifting until she was under the covers with Rin lying beside her, held securely in her arms. Sesshoumaru couldn't help but smile at the sight they made. Not for the first time he caught himself noticing the similarities between the two girls. If not for the difference in eye color they could pass for mother and daughter or siblings. Taking a moment to imagine what his and Kagome's children would look like, the demon slid his way into the bed with them. The two lay facing each other with Rin snuggled safely between them, Sesshoumaru's right arm resting on Kagome's waist. Feeling more secure than she'd ever felt before, Rin slipped off to sleep immediately.

'What do we do? How do we stop her nightmares?' Kagome asked silently, her blue eyes meeting his gold in the dim light.

'This Sesshoumaru is curious as to why the dreams have suddenly returned. She has not had them for over a year.'

'Maybe she wasn't having them because she felt safe with you.'

'Perhaps, but she has been at the palace for several days without myself present and did not suffer the dreams then.'

'I don't know. But what about Inuyasha and the others? They must be worried about her. How did she get out of the camp without waking anyone?' They both tensed for a moment before relaxing. 'Well, I guess that explains that.'

Sesshoumaru let out a sigh and slid back out of the bed again. 'I shall go speak with him. She will stay here for the night. You should go back to sleep. You have exams in the morning.' Kagome simply nodded and yawned before closing her eyes, Sesshoumaru quietly left the room and made his way towards the well house one last time that night.

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Inuyasha woke with a start. Something was wrong, and it wasn't that Kagome was missing. He sat up quickly and looked around; trying to determine what was off. In just seconds his mental head count yielded the problem. Rin was missing! But what happened? Someone would have woken up if an outsider had come and taken her away and there were no new scents in the clearing. But then that meant that she left on her own! Where would a little human girl go in the middle of the night alone? He got up quietly, not wanting to wake the others just yet. He could still smell her, so she hadn't been gone long.

Following her scent trail, Inuyasha quickly found himself looking down into the depths of the well. Her scent ended right there, inside the well, but she wasn't down there. His eyes narrowed as he thought for a moment before deciding it was worth a shot. The hanyou jumped into the well, feeling the magic carrying him five hundred years into the future. When his feet settled softly on the dirt at the bottom of the well he jumped out and into the well house. Taking in a breath he knew that not only had Rin made it successfully to Kagome's time but that Kagome and Sesshoumaru had both retrieved her. He let out a sigh of relief. At least now he knew she was safe.

The inu hanyou opened the well house doors and was half way to the house when he met a half-dressed Sesshoumaru. He couldn't help but laugh at the sight of his all powerful and ruthless brother in nothing but red pajama pants covered with little white puppies. "I can't believe she managed to get you to wear something like that!" Inuyasha said between bouts of laughter. It was just too funny! Just a glare from Sesshoumaru shut him up though.

"How is it that Rin made her way to the well without your notice? You are supposed to be ensuring their safety and you lose a young human child in the middle of the night?" Sesshoumaru's voice was low and angry, and Inuyasha knew that he was lucky not to have already been reprimanded in some very unpleasant and painful way.

"I... I don't know how she snuck off. She was sleeping right next to me! I never felt her move. When I woke up and she was gone I followed her scent to the well." Inuyasha said quickly in his own defense. "How did she get through the well anyway? I thought only Kagome could, and us because of the beads."

"We do not know. She is being troubled by nightmares again and said she wanted Kagome and I. Apparently it allowed her to pass, though the exact reason why is unknown."

Inuyasha nodded. "I was gonna come in the morning and ask you about the nightmares. She said something about wolves and you. Jaken said she had them for a while after she started traveling with you but he couldn't explain why, what caused them, or how they stopped. Where is she anyway? Upstairs with Kagome?"

"Yes, Kagome has exams in the morning so they are both sleeping. She will stay the night. Come back in the morning and we will discuss the source of her dreams. I am unsure as to why they have returned so suddenly, but I will figure it out." He was silent for a moment before continuing. "How are the pups and kit handling the separation?"

Not sure how much to say, Inuyasha decided to be as vague as possible, at least while his brother was so obviously angry with him already. "They all miss her, but we've been keeping busy. Kaede's been helping them practice their new powers. They wanted to surprise Kagome with how much they learned."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "You should return. If they wake and find you missing they may get upset."

Inuyasha nodded. "I'll be back in the morning." The two brothers turned and headed in opposite directions, nothing else needing to be said. Inuyasha heading back through the well while Sesshoumaru made his way back upstairs to sleep with both his love and his little girl in his arms.

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Kouga was still sitting in the middle of his otherwise abandoned campsite. Finally his headache had faded away into nothing but an uncomfortable memory. Now if only the memory of how he'd ended up naked in a cave would come back to him. He'd done nothing but think the whole time he'd been sitting, but he still had no idea. He couldn't remember anything after breakfast with his pack. And where in the hell had they gotten to? He couldn't understand why they would have left the camp. He didn't even know why he'd left. There was no sign of a struggle, no hint of a fight, so it appeared that they left of their own free will. The longer he thought about it the more confused he got. Something odd was going on, but as to what it could be he was clueless.

Finally his stomach decided for him that it was time to give walking another try. Hopefully this time he wouldn't end up on his ass with a sore nose and forehead. He still didn't understand that part either. How could he have possibly walked into something that felt like a solid wall but was completely invisible? And then how could it be gone seconds later? It just wasn't possible. It wasn't. But then that only left the idea that he'd imagined it completely, something he refused to believe. He wasn't crazy. He was sure of it.

Letting out a frustrated growl, Kouga rose to his feet and walked slowly towards the edge of the clearing, intent on finding something to eat. He was absolutely starving! He let out a sigh of relief when he reached the tree line without running into anything, while at the same time scolding him self for being worried about something so absolutely ridiculous. Feeling secure in his safety and sanity once more, the wolf prince picked up speed, sniffing out any possible prey. Catching the scent of a deer to the east he turned, ready to pursue his midnight snack. He'd taken just three steps when the ground fell out from under him. He landed with an 'Oomph' and lay there flat on his back for a few moments, completely stunned.

Finally Kouga sat up and took in his surroundings. He was at the bottom of a pit! It had to be at least twelve feet straight down. How could he have missed it? And where the hell did a twelve foot pit come from anyways? He was certain there had been nothing even close when he'd surveyed the area before setting up camp in the first place. While he was thinking, Kouga's right hand came up to scratch at his left arm. He looked up again, seeing the stars twinkling through the treetops.

'_So how does a pit show up out of nowhere?'_ he asked himself. _'It doesn't,'_ he thought in answer to his own question. His left hand started scratching the back of his neck while his right hand made its way behind him to attend to an itch on his lower back. _'So someone had to dig it, but there wasn't a pile of dirt anywhere. Where did the dirt all go? It had to be a lot. This is pretty deep! And why didn't I see it?' _Soon he was contorting himself in attempts to reach the middle of his back under his armor. The itching was driving him crazy! Seconds later he was stripping off his armor and furs, trying to scratch at places that should never itch quite like this. It was absolutely insane, and it was making him feel that way as well. He just couldn't scratch everywhere that itched all at once. He needed more arms!

'_Why am I so itchy?'_ was all the wolf prince could think while clawing at him self in a desperate attempt to end the annoying feeling. It was while he was scratching his scalp like crazy when he finally had a semi-intelligent thought. _'I wasn't itchy before I fell in this hole! It has to have something to do with it!'_ He looked down at the dirt he had just landed on and noticed a fine white powder covering the entire bottom of the pit. Leaning in to take a closer sniff, trying to discover just what it was, all he ended up with was an itchy nose. He'd never smelled anything like it before and had no idea what it was. He did, however, suspect that it had **something** to do with his incredibly itchy state. In that case, he had a plan. He would put an end to this infernal itching if he had to slice his own skin off to do it!

Grabbing his furs and armor, Kouga used the power of the shards in his legs to leap straight out of the giant hole. Forgetting once more about his hunger, the wolf made a mad dash to the nearest water source. The hot spring was just too far away. He'd never make it. He was having a hard enough time running, carrying his clothing, and scratching everywhere at once. Finally he reached the stream and splashed through to the deepest area in the middle. The wolf prince knelt in the ice cold water, dropping his furs and armor to the side but still in the stream, and began scrubbing at his still itchy and now raw skin.

The cold water felt wonderful, and it seemed to be helping. Deciding it was working, he flopped onto his back and wiggled on the sandy bottom like a dog trying to scratch its back, which was actually pretty close to being accurate. The friction of the sand soothed some of the itch that he hadn't been able to reach while the water seemed to be slowly but steadily reducing the irritation problem as a whole. He submerged his whole head, using his claws to scrub furiously at his scalp, face, and neck.

He wanted to scream. Even his more **personal** bits itched! If someone had walked in on the wolf prince, they would have gotten the wrong impression as he rubbed and scratched at some of the worst of the itchy intimate places. It just felt too good to soothe the annoying sensation; he couldn't help but let out little moans and growls of pleasure. Finally the worst of the itching seemed to be gone, and he set to ensuring they didn't return.

He grabbed his furs and forced them under the water, swishing them around rapidly in an attempt to remove any of the unidentified powder that might remain. Kouga was certain now that the itch was due to the white substance, and he wasn't taking the chance of putting his furs back on just to get itchy again. It just wasn't going to happen. When he was satisfied that his furs were adequately clean he pulled them out of the water and wrung them out as best he could before tossing them on the shore. He did the same with his armor, making sure to run his hands over the inside and outside of his chest plate. Again, when he was convinced he got it all he tossed the armor onto the shore near the still sopping wet furs.

Kouga sat in the softly running water for a while longer, making sure his hands were as clean as they could be and waiting to see if the itching returned. His entire body was shivering violently, and he found himself wishing that he had another set of furs. He couldn't put on the soaking wet ones. Not only would they be uncomfortable and heavy, but they would smell. Even as a wolf, the scent of wet wolf fur still wasn't pleasant. Deciding he would just have to wait until they dried, Kouga sloshed his way to the shore and allowed his body to drop the ground, utterly exhausted. His confusing and frustrating day finally got the better of him, and he couldn't fight the drowsiness for another minute. The wolf prince fell asleep right where he lay, armor to one side and wet furs to the other, not the slightest bit concerned about his nudity or any possible dangers of sleeping out in the open. Even if he had been worried, he wouldn't have been able to do anything about it. He was just too tired.

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When Inuyasha returned to the feudal era he caught the scent of Kouga on the air. Noticing that the wolf was no longer in his campsite, the hanyou decided to investigate, mostly out of his own curiosity. They'd set up some traps that wouldn't need their presence to work and he couldn't help but wonder if the annoying wolf prince had fallen prey to one of them. He followed where the scent led him and almost laughed aloud at the sight. Kouga was lying on his stomach on the shore of the stream, his feet still half in the water, completely naked. As he took in the scene he spotted the wet furs and armor sitting around the very unconscious demon. Now he just had to know.

The hanyou made his way towards the wolf's camp, watching where he stepped to make sure he didn't fall into one of his own pranks. That would definitely not be the highlight of his night. He checked the hidden traps one by one until he found it. He actually had to sit down to make sure he didn't fall as he laughed his ass off. Apparently the 'itching powder' Kagome's mother had provided did its job well. He found himself wishing they hadn't missed it. It would have been hilarious to watch Kouga scratching everywhere. It had to have been bad for him to try to wash it off in the stream. That water was cold! The hot springs would have only taken a few more minutes but the very state he'd found the wolf in told him that a few more minutes was too long.

Inuyasha crept back into camp quietly, making his way to where Miroku slept. He nudged the monk with his foot, gently at first. Of course, Inuyasha was anything but patient, and soon the gentle nudges turned into a rather rough kick that woke his friend instantly.

Miroku was up, on his feet and ready to fight in an instant, relaxing only when his tired eyes recognized his very annoying companion. "Did you have to kick me?" he hissed in frustration. "You could have just said something!"

"I tried gentle monk. You didn't budge. Come here, and bring the camera! You've gotta see this!"

Miroku's eyes brightened instantly. He was having way too much fun with the pranks and the camera. He was going to have to ask Kagome if he could use it more often. It made him feel artistic, like he was painting a beautiful scene with just the click of a button. "What happened? What'd he do?"

Inuyasha smirked. "Two words: itching powder."

He needed no more convincing. "Where?"

"Come on," the hanyou said with a quick tilt of his head. "I'll show you." He turned and went to leave the clearing but stopped after just a few steps and turned around. He made his way to Kazue and quietly asked her to keep watch while they were gone. He wasn't as surprised as he'd expected to be when she answered him. Now he knew that she wasn't dumb, she just hadn't wanted to talk to him that first day. "Thanks," he whispered before he and the monk disappeared into the dead of night.

Miroku couldn't believe the sight when they finally arrived. It was just too funny! He snapped a couple of quick pictures before the two took pity on the wolf. Inuyasha grabbed both of Kouga's hands and pulled him farther away from the stream so his feet were no longer in the cold water. Miroku checked the furs and found that they were mostly dry, covering as much of the wolf's bare body as possible. Deciding that it wasn't enough, that he would be in danger if left in his unconscious state, they rearranged him to sit under a tree before covering him again. They lay his sword under one hand, Inuyasha having picked it up somewhere between the wolf's camp and his resting place. Miroku plastered a sutra to the tree over Kouga's head that erected a barrier around the defenseless wolf that would hide him for several hours. By the time it wore off he would be ready to wake and able to protect himself.

When they were finished they returned to camp, Miroku slipped back in beside Sango and wrapped his arms snugly around her body. He couldn't keep the smile off his face when she leaned back into him, one of her hands coming up to rest on his arm. Inuyasha smirked at his friends before joining the dog pile he'd left earlier, the warmth of the bodies of his nephews and Shippo lulling him back to sleep.

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Kagura was ready to tear her hair out. The old witch still hadn't returned and she really didn't want to stay the night in her smelly cave, but she didn't see any other choice. Naraku wanted to see her as soon as possible and she didn't dare return without her. The wind witch found herself poking through the odd combination of dried herbs, ancient looking scrolls, and jars of disgusting looking liquids just to pass the time. She picked up several different scrolls one at a time, unrolling them to see if they were something she could read to pass the time. Over and over she was disappointed, finding nothing but lists of ingredients and spells she had no interest in. But when she unrolled one that had been sitting on a shelf away from the others, her eyes widened.

"What do we have here?" she said softly to herself before sitting down and immersing herself in the words and symbols before her. She didn't understand it all, having learned how to read partially from the knowledge Naraku had possessed when he created her from his own body but mostly through pure boredom. The bastard's castle had a library that no one ever ventured in so she could have the place to herself and often did, spending hour after hour looking through boring historical accounts and somewhat interesting legends. But this, what she was looking at now, it had the potential to grant her freedom. If what it said was true then that meant that he was destined to be defeated eventually. Maybe with this information she could help move things along a bit faster.

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If you would like to be emailed when a new chapter has been posted, either review with your email address included or email me at SunsetMiko' at aol 'dot com' (take out the apostrophes. It's quite hard to get any address to show on the Fanfiction' dot' net' site) saying you wish to be added to SWtPF Updates List. Please remember to include your email address if you choose to do this through reviews as most sites don't allow me to determine your email address from your User ID. Fanfiction' dot' net' readers, if you do this in a review, you have to type out the email address like I did because the system removes emails and web addresses.

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http://sunsetmiko. 


	76. Inside Story

**Chapter 76 – Inside Story**

Kagome woke to the slight shifting of a small body against her. Slowly opening her eyes, she couldn't help but smile when she saw Rin snuggled into Sesshoumaru's chest. Sensing that she was awake, Sesshoumaru's golden eyes opened and locked with hers. 'Morning Sesshoumaru,' she said silently while yawning.

'Good morning to you as well,' he said with a small smirk. 'You are still tired.'

She lifted herself up on her elbow to look over him and check out the time. 'It's only six thirty. I don't need to get up for another hour.' They both looked down at the little yawn, seeing bright brown eyes and a toothy grin.

"Rin thought it was just a dream," she said in an adorable tone as she glanced around. "Is this Mama's room?"

"Yes, Rin, this is my bedroom. Did you sleep alright?"

A little head of raven black hair nodded before she scooted up to sit so she could look around more. Kagome could tell that there were a million questions dancing around that sweet little mind of hers and sighed. She wasn't getting back to sleep, of that she was certain.

"Well, I guess we should get up then. Might as well get a good breakfast in before I head to school." Kagome sat up beside Rin and looked at Sesshoumaru who got the message and slid out of the bed, standing a bit away so they could both get up too. Taking in the sight of the little girl Kagome smiled. "I've got something for you to wear, Rin. And I got the toothbrush I promised too."

"Really? Can Rin wear clothes like you Mama?"

"I've got the most adorable thing for you. Come on. Let's go wash our faces and brush our teeth." She held out her hand and Rin scrambled to take it, the two disappearing into the bathroom.

While the girls were gone Sesshoumaru poked through the piles of clothing at the end of the bed, wondering what Kagome would want him to wear today. He smirked as he found a pair of the pants they'd purchased the day before that had excited her so easily. He wished for a moment that he could work the clasps without damaging the fabric. He would have loved to see the look in her eyes if she came out of the bathroom to find him dressed, especially dressed in these. Digging around a bit more he retrieved a shirt that he thought would go well with the black pants with red straps and stitching, a black t-shirt that had red lettering on it, the letters appearing to have been traced in dripping blood. Holding it out to read he once again found himself impressed with Kagome's mother. The bloody words read 'I'm not shy. I'm just examining my prey.' He pulled out another pair of boxers and dropped his selections on the bed.

He listened carefully, trying to decide how much time he had before they would return, and judging by Kagome's words he had a few more minutes since she was explaining how to properly brush her teeth to Rin. He silently dropped his pajama pants and pulled on the boxers. He pulled the shirt over his head and then sat, determined to figure out the modern clasps. He smirked as he managed to open the front of the pants without too much difficulty and slipped them on, very carefully repeating the process in reverse to secure them. He glanced in the mirror and took in the sight before him. He no longer looked like the Great Demon Lord Sesshoumaru. He looked more like the males he'd seen at the mall. He looked like a human male Kagome's age instead of a centuries old demon, well, besides the hair, eyes, markings, fangs and claws. Still, the difference was striking and he couldn't bring himself to find it a bad thing. Nothing that could make Kagome smell quite so aroused as she had yesterday could be bad, at least not in his eyes.

When Kagome came out of the bathroom with Rin trailing closely her jaw just about hit the floor. He looked… she didn't even know how to describe it except for that seeing him in those clothes made her want to take them right off him. She saw his smirk and the glint in his eye as he took an obvious sniff. She knew exactly what he smelled and she knew he'd done it on purpose.

"How'd you manage to work the zipper and button?" she asked in a voice that came out a bit more breathy than she'd intended.

His smirk widened. "This Sesshoumaru can achieve many things if the reward is worth the trouble."

"And was it?"

"Very much so," he murmured as he moved closer. He leaned in and pressed his lips to her throat. "Even more than I'd hoped," he whispered in her ear.

They were startled back to reality when Rin spoke. "Mama? What is Papa wearing?"

Kagome laughed as Sesshoumaru pulled back, just a second of a sulking face visible, but she'd noticed it. "He's wearing clothes boys from my time that are my age wear," she said with a grin before moving to dig through the shopping bags. She pulled out a bright yellow sundress that was covered with large orange flowers.

Rin nearly squealed when Kagome held it out to her. "That's for Rin?" When she nodded Rin started to bounce on the balls of her feet in excitement. "Can Rin wear it now?"

"That's why I got it out, sweetie. People don't wear traditional kimonos like you're wearing now except for on special occasions. Besides, I want to see how you'll look. I've got shoes for you too."

The older of the two miko almost hit the ground as the younger tackled her in an enthusiastic hug. "Thank you, Mama! Rin is so happy! Rin loves it!"

"I'm glad. If you let me up I'll help you change." Kagome immediately found herself released from the small arms of her 'daughter' and laughed softly while standing. She helped Rin dress and carefully brushed out her wild hair before securing it in pigtails. Sesshoumaru couldn't keep the smile off his lips as he watched Kagome mother the little girl. More and more the sight was bringing to mind his Kagome with a pup in her arms, with silver hair and bright blue eyes. _'Our pups will be beautiful,_' he thought to himself. _'Just as beautiful as she is.'_

When Rin was finally dressed and Kagome was done clucking around her like a mother hen she dug through her closet, pulling out a clean and amazingly whole school uniform. She grabbed a few things out of a drawer before she disappeared into the bathroom, as Rin and Sesshoumaru waited patiently for her return. When she finally came out of the bathroom, Sesshoumaru had to force himself not to sweep in and attack her with his lips and tongue. Seeing her in the same clothing as she'd been wearing when he first saw her, as well as most of the times he'd encountered her, stirred his blood. He caught her eyes with his before talking silently in her mind. 'This Sesshoumaru will take great pleasure in removing those garments from you.' His tone was full of promises and she blushed.

'No claws! This is the only one I have that isn't all torn up or covered in **someone's** blood! It has to stay wearable until the end of the week.'

'This Sesshoumaru can be patient.'

Her blush brightened and she turned away. "Alright, well, let's go downstairs and find something to eat."

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He groaned and found himself wondering why his head hurt so much. He tried to lift his right arm to gently massage his temple but found that he couldn't move it more than a few inches. He repeated the action and the discovery with his left hand. He really didn't want to open his eyes. With the way his head hurt already, he knew that letting any light in was a bad idea. However, the knowledge that he couldn't move his limbs and with no memory as to why bothered him enough to suffer the pain he knew would come with the light.

Very slowly Hojo cracked one eye open, just a sliver, hoping that going slow would make it easier. When he looked down at his hands though, his eyes whipped open completely and for a moment he thought the entire world had exploded. He clenched his eyes shut and a few minutes later he decided that it was just his brain that had exploded inside his skull and braved opening his eyes again. He had to have been mistaken. He had to have seen wrong. There was no way that his arms were strapped to the bed at the wrists with what looked like wide leather belts.

When he could finally see, his eyes having adjusted a little less painfully this time to the invading light, he discovered that he had seen right after all. _'What's going on?'_ he thought, his voice inside his head already bordering on hysterical. _'Where the hell am I? How did I get here?'_ He looked around the room wildly, trying to find any hint as to where he was and why. There was nothing. The walls were a dingy white and completely bare, and there was a curtain on his left that was blocking his sight entirely which made him nervous. _'What if someone's over there?'_

His head snapped to study the curtain as he heard movement on the other side. "Is anyone there? Please! Is someone there? Where am I? How did I get here?" Hojo cried out frantically.

Before his patient worked himself up any more the doctor pulled the curtain back, revealing himself to the boy. "Calm down. You're in the hospital and everything is fine."

"Then why are my arms strapped to the bed?!?" he yelled at the man in a white lab coat.

"You bit one of the orderlies that brought you in, so you've been restrained for the safety of the staff. You know, he needed seventeen stitches. It wasn't very nice of you to bite him."

Hojo looked confused. "I don't remember biting anyone!"

The doctor furrowed his brows. "What is the last thing you remember?" He watched as the teenager appeared to be thinking, really wracking his brain for the answer. He picked up the chart that was hanging off the end of the bed, immediately understanding. "Don't force it. You'll remember eventually. Sometimes the tranquilizer they used can cause temporary memory loss. You've been admitted for observation and evaluation. Apparently you were making some impossible claims during your interrogation."

"Tranquilizer? Interrogation?" he repeated in surprise. What the hell had happened to him? He didn't remember doing anything wrong, let alone something that would lead to an interrogation. And they'd tranquilized him? Not being able to remember was driving him crazy, but by the way the doctor looked him over it was apparent that they already thought he was. He let out a sigh and allowed his head to drop back down to the pillow. Whatever had occurred, it was obvious he wouldn't be remembering it anytime soon.

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Souta had woken with the sun like any kid his age and was already downstairs playing video games while his mother was in the kitchen making breakfast. When he heard his sister coming down the stairs he glanced at her but found that he needed a double-take. There, standing next to Kagome and Sesshoumaru, was a little girl that looked just like his sister!

"Whoa! Kagome! Where'd you get the kid? She looks just like you!"

Kagome smiled. Rin had been nervous about meeting her family, but the sight of someone close to her own age appeared to have relaxed her immediately. "This is Rin, Souta. Rin, this is my little brother Souta."

"Hey, you wanna play video games with me?" he asked, holding up the second controller in offering. "Where'd she come from anyway?" he questioned Kagome when he noticed the little girl's confusion.

"She came through the well last night. I told you about her, Souta."

"She's **that** Rin?" he said in surprise.

Hiromi, hearing their voices, popped her head out of the kitchen to say good morning to her daughter and Sesshoumaru. Her words were caught in her throat when she saw the little girl holding Kagome's hand. The resemblance was uncanny and there was absolutely no way that it was merely a coincidence. Kagome hadn't brought home any pictures of the little girl she'd talked about yet and apparently her descriptions had been lacking. Hiromi felt her chest tighten painfully. He'd promised her. He'd sworn that he loved her, only her, and that she would forever be the only woman for him. Apparently he'd lied to her, because there was no other possible explanation. This little girl had to be her husband's child, Kagome and Souta's half-sister. She might as well have **been**Kagome, like her daughter had just stepped out of one of the photographs of her as a child that littered the house.

Sesshoumaru sensed the wave of despair that was rolling off her mother and immediately drew Kagome's attention to it. "Mama?" Kagome asked softly. The look on her mother's face, in her eyes… she'd never seen her mother look so absolutely devastated, not even when her father had left them and Kagome had been told he was dead. She followed her mother's eyes and realized she was staring at Rin. "Mama? Are you alright?" Kagome's heart clenched as she watched a single tear roll down her mother's face.

In a second Kagome had released Rin's hand and had her arms wrapped around her mother. "What's wrong, Mama? I told you about Rin. She's the little girl Sesshoumaru takes care of, remember?"

Hiromi nodded absently. "I remember dear. It's not that."

"Well then what is it?" the miko asked in frustration.

"It's… it's nothing dear. She just looks so much like you did at her age."

Kagome glanced from her mother to Rin and back. "I guess, but why would that make you cry?"

Rin was clinging to the chains and straps that hung from his pants; not knowing what was happening but feeling instinctively that she was the root of the problem. Feeling her distress, Sesshoumaru bent down and lifted her into his arms. "It's alright Rin. Everything is fine."

"But Rin made the pretty lady cry," she whispered.

"It is not your fault Rin. Why don't you go see if Souta can explain the game to you?" When she nodded reluctantly, he carefully set her back on her feet and watched her run to where Kagome's little brother sat with his eyes glued to the television screen. Once she appeared to be settled he walked over to where Kagome and Hiromi stood. "The resemblance is uncanny, it is true, but she is not who you believe she is."

The older woman's eyes immediately locked with his. "How do you know? And how do you know who I think she is?"

"Who **do** you think she is?" Kagome asked curiously.

"You have used your crystal to check on him in the past, yes?" Hiromi nodded. "During the last two years?" She nodded again. "Then she is definitely not who you think she is. Her parents were killed by bandits before she came to be under my care. The villagers had been taking care of her, poorly, before she found me."

"You can't be sure! She could just think he died," she paused and looked at Souta. "Like Kagome did," she whispered.

"Mama! You think that she's…" Her words were cut off when Sesshoumaru covered her mouth with his hand. He released her a moment later when her eyes had calmed. Thankfully she hadn't licked his hand this time. He wasn't sure he would have been able to control himself. "How can you think that?" she hissed at her mother angrily.

"She looks just like you, honey. Exactly. What am I supposed to think?"

Sesshoumaru appeared to be thinking for a moment before he spoke once more in his calm dull tone. "If she were indeed sired by the same male as Kagome and Souta I would be able to detect it in her scent. While there are similarities, she is not their sister, this Sesshoumaru can assure you."

"Similarities?" Kagome asked in surprise.

"Yes. Your scent is very similar to Rin's, just as your appearances are so similar. The only major difference is the eye color."

"Not exactly," Hiromi whispered. She turned around and grabbed a framed photo off a shelf. "Look at her eyes," she said while handing it to the demon lord. She watched as his eyes widened in surprise. "She had brown eyes when she was younger too."

"I had what?" Kagome asked in surprise, snatching the picture from his hands. "But… how?"

"It's complicated dear, and now isn't the time." Feeling the weight lifted from her shoulders by Sesshoumaru's reassurances, she turned and walked back into the kitchen. "I'm making French toast," she called to them in a happy tone.

"My eyes were brown?" Kagome asked, more to herself than anyone else. "How could I not notice? There are pictures of me everywhere!" She set the one she'd been looking at down and grabbed another and then another. Every single one had her with obviously brown eyes, at least until she got to the last one that had ever been taken before their father 'died'. In that photo she could very clearly see her own familiar blue eyes staring back, eyes that matched her father's perfectly.

"This Sesshoumaru does not know, but you cannot allow it to bother you. You cannot be distracted for your exams." Kagome sighed but nodded, letting her head drop to his chest.

Breakfast was interesting since Kagome's grandfather had come down from his room just in time to have completely missed the entire discussion. He'd immediately jumped to the same conclusions, only louder, and both Hiromi and Kagome had nearly tackled him to shut his mouth. He'd pouted all through breakfast after that. Rin and Souta appeared to have clicked immediately and apparently the little girl loved French toast, because she had certainly packed it away.

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Inuyasha woke to the worried eyes of eight children. He knew why immediately. "Rin is fine. She's with your father."

"She's where?" Hitoshi asked incredulously. "Father is with Mama. Rin couldn't…"

"Rin went through the well last night. She must have woken from the nightmare again. When I followed the trail of her scent through the well I spoke with him. She made it to Kagome's era safely and they decided she would stay the rest of the night there."

"So the well allowed her to pass?" Akihiro inquired. "How did she know it would?"

Inuyasha frowned. "I don't think she did. I'm pretty sure she didn't think about it at all. She's lucky it let her through because she would have gotten pretty hurt if she'd hit the bottom."

Miroku walked closer, having been poking at the fire and listening at the same time. "Perhaps the well granted her passage because she was in need of it?" he said thoughtfully, his voice trailing off.

"Whaddya mean, monk? Spit it out!"

Miroku sighed in frustration at his friend's impatience. "I was merely suggesting that the well let her through because she needed Kagome and Sesshoumaru. Perhaps her distress about the dreams was so great that she could be soothed by no other."

"It does make sense. She really missed Mama and Father," Yoshi said slowly. "When will she return?"

"I'm supposed to go back this morning. He's gonna tell me more about the dreams and I'll bring her back with me then."

"Lucky. Rin got to see Mama and you do too!" Isamu said in a cranky voice.

"Isamu! Rin was terrified by her dreams. She was not 'lucky'. Jealousy is not befitting of you," Shinji lectured. "I'm sure that we all wish to see Mama, but none of us would choose to experience the circumstances that led to Rin's visit with her. And Uncle Inuyasha needs to find out what is causing the nightmares so that we can help end them."

Isamu nodded with a sheepish look on his face. "We just miss her," Yuudai said, smiling at his twin. "We understand. We know you didn't mean it the way it sounded."

Sango decided that they needed a change of topic. "Hey! You guys wanna come along with me to get water for breakfast and wash up?"

The children nodded and when Sango started to walk away from camp Miroku's eyes widened. "Sango!" he called out to her.

"What, Miroku?" she asked in a frustrated tone.

"I wouldn't go that way. Come on. I'll go with you."

"But this is the way I always go," she said suspiciously.

"Yes my love, but the wolf prince fell prey to one of our traps last night and he may still be sleeping where we left him."

Instantly there were eight voices begging for details and with a smile Miroku began his story while leading them to a spot a bit further downstream where there was a much smaller risk of stumbling onto a naked and unconscious wolf demon.

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Sesshoumaru had insisted on walking her to school, not that she'd really put up too much of a protest, she didn't want to leave his presence anyway. It was going to be a long day and she wasn't looking forward to it in the least. She hadn't noticed just how much she'd gotten used to his always being with her until she was faced with being without him. Rin had nearly begged to come along, not that they would have left her behind in the first place. Kagome had brushed Sesshoumaru's hair and carefully secured it in a low ponytail at his neck, ensuring that it covered the points of his ears completely, and the full length was currently tossed over one shoulder and out of the way. Rin sat up high on his shoulders, enjoying looking down on the world for once, his hands loosely holding her ankles in case she began to slip. Kagome thought it was absolutely adorable and had insisted on taking a picture of the pair before they left the shrine grounds.

They were getting closer to the school now and Kagome couldn't stop the smirk that spread smugly across her face. They were jealous, all of them. She listened to the comments the girls whispered to each other, having no idea they were being overheard.

"Holy shit! Did you see the hottie with Kagome?"

"Wow, look at that hair! I've never seen that color before."

"How did she manage to catch one that hot?"

"I can't believe she's cheating on Hojo! I wonder if he even knows."

"I don't know, but I'd take him over Hojo any day."

"Mmm. I could just eat him, he's so sexy."

"I wonder how old he is. He looks older."

"He has to be older or he would be in school today."

"How come Higurashi gets all the luck?"

"I bet he kisses like a dream."

"I'll bet he fucks like an animal."

"He's probably huge!"

"I'd give almost anything to be Higurashi right now."

"I'd give just about anything to touch him, even for a second."

"He looks like a Kami!"

"He's delicious. So much cuter than the boys at our school!"

"I bet Hojo's upset that she dumped him. He's pretty cute. Maybe he'll finally get over her and move on… to me."

"If I had to choose between Hojo and that hunk of man meat, Hojo would lose in an instant."

"Yeah, I don't blame her. Who wouldn't pick him over Hojo?"

Kagome wanted to laugh at some of the things she was hearing, but frowned at the mention of Hojo. Really, how much more obvious could she make it that she didn't want to and in fact had never been dating him? Sesshoumaru was holding her hand as they walked and every now and then he would glance at her face. He could feel the smugness pouring off of her and he couldn't help but smirk. She knew he was hers and she was certainly proud of it. He wanted to growl when he heard some of the things the male students were saying, even more so when Kagome started to blush as she heard them too.

"Check it out! Higurashi's here."

"Always nice to see her. Did I ever mention just how much I like the girls' uniform?"

"Her legs just never get boring."

"Her legs? How about that ass?"

"Wonder who the pretty boy is."

"He looks like a fruit, especially with the hair. Who has hair that long?"

"What's with the marks all over his face?"

"How did this asshole get her attention? I've been trying to get her to go out with me for months!"

"Hojo's been after her for years. I wonder if he knows."

"I don't know but damned if I didn't wish I was that guy."

"I'd give just about anything to see what she's got on under that skirt."

"I'll bet it's red… and lacy."

"Nah. She's too much of the sweet innocent type for red lace panties. No, she's got virginal white cotton, maybe with a cute little picture on them."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Either way, I'd pay to see them."

"So would I."

Kagome couldn't believe the things the boys were saying about her! She'd never been able to hear so well before and she almost wished she couldn't because she really didn't need to know what the male student body thought of her ass or what their guesses on her panties were either. She glanced at Sesshoumaru and could see that he wasn't so amused anymore. He'd found it entertaining that all the girls had been talking about him but the possessive, jealous side of him couldn't stand hearing the boys admirations.

When they were near the front steps of the school Kagome turned around and leaned up to kiss him softly, all the whispering ceased as everyone watched the two. Sesshoumaru glanced over her shoulder, seeing a few of the boys that had just moments ago been admiring his Kagome's perfect ass. They looked incredibly jealous and he just couldn't help himself as he smirked at them before snaking his hand under the back of her skirt and giving her ass a firm squeeze. Kagome squealed in surprise and when she saw his face she glared at him.

"You just had to show off, didn't you?"

"The human males needed to be educated as to who you belong to."

Kagome rolled her eyes and watched as he lifted Rin from his shoulders and set her down carefully so she could hug Kagome good-bye. "Bye, Mama!" she called a little louder than Kagome would have preferred. She closed her eyes and prayed that no one had heard but she was denied again. The whispering started up again, even more than before, and she wished she had a megaphone so she could make it clear to everyone that Rin called her Mama but she **wasn't** **actually** her mother! Really, she wasn't even seventeen yet! How could she possibly have a child Rin's age?

Deciding there was nothing she could do about it and that it didn't really matter anyway, Kagome knelt down and hugged the little girl. "I love you sweetie. I'll see you when Sesshoumaru and I come back, alright?" They'd explained to Rin that she would be returning to the past with Inuyasha and she'd agreed, though she really wished she could stay with them. She knew that her Mama needed to concentrate and she wasn't too young to know that the couple wanted to enjoy their chance at privacy, something they wouldn't find in the feudal era.

Kagome kissed Sesshoumaru again, this time moaning as his hands slipped into her hair and his tongue caressed hers. The kiss lasted for over a minute, only ending when they both needed air. He was hesitant to let her go, but he had things to do today, things that could only be done while she was at school. Besides talking to Inuyasha and explaining the source of Rin's dreams, something he wasn't looking forward to, he had a few things to do with Hiromi that Kagome absolutely **could not** know about. After another couple shorter, but no less passionate kisses, Kagome finally declared that she had to go inside before the bell rang and she was late. Sesshoumaru and Rin watched as she ran up the stairs and disappeared behind the doors before he held out his hand to the little girl and she took it, the two beginning their short walk back to the shrine.

"Papa?" Rin asked in an inquisitive voice.

"Yes, Rin?"

"How'd you get your arm back?"

His eyes widened for a moment. He just couldn't believe that he'd already forgotten about it! He'd been without it for so long that he had expected there to be a longer adjustment period, but it was like he never lost his arm at all. There was no adjustment needed. He hadn't realized that Rin had only ever seen him with one arm. "Kagome was so kind as to return it to me," he said with a small smile.

"Mama did it? Wow!"

"Yes, I was surprised as well. She is much more powerful than she knows and has a much greater control than she shows. It was her gift to me, just as she gifted Inuyasha with the ability to use his full demon powers at will."

"Papa?"

"Yes, Rin?"

"It's nice to have you hug me with both arms. I bet she thinks so too."

"Perhaps, though she was insistent that I did not need it."

"Not needing it and not having it are different though."

"This Sesshoumaru agrees. It is nice to hold her, and you, with both arms. But don't tell anyone about it yet, okay?"

"Why?" the little girl asked in confusion.

"Inuyasha knows, but this Sesshoumaru would prefer for the others to find out when we return."

"Alright, Papa. I'll keep it a secret," she whispered in a conspiratorial voice. "Secrets are fun!"

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He was clutching the railing at his side so tightly that his knuckles were white. It had been bad enough to be turned down by her at the mall, but for her to bring her 'boyfriend' here; all he wanted to do was fight the bastard, to prove once and for all who the bigger man was. He'd wanted her for so long, even longer than Hojo's little obsession, and she'd never given him the time of day. It hadn't bothered him when everyone thought she was with Hojo. He knew she wasn't. But this guy, now everyone knew that she'd picked someone else. He doubted he could get lucky enough for the other students to have forgotten his public announcements of his claim on Higurashi. He'd been so confident, so sure she would be thrilled to be called his girlfriend, but apparently he was wrong.

He watched as her pretty boy grabbed her ass and when she kissed him. They kissed like no one else existed in the world, like they didn't care who saw. _'That should be me! I should be the one kissing her like that! That should be my hand on her ass! She was supposed to be mine!'_

"Kyo?" a familiar feminine voice caught his attention.

"What, Momoko?" he asked, frustrated. Now wasn't the time. He didn't have time to play with the school slut, not when his Kagome was sucking face with her 'boyfriend'.

"She turned you down, didn't she?" The boy shot her a vicious glare. "You wanna teach him a lesson, don't you?"

Finally he turned and looked at the girl at his side. "What do you have in mind?"

"That bitch embarrassed me, let that asshole make me fall in public and he even dared to call me names! I want her to pay. I want to rip them apart. Then she'll come running into your arms just like you want and I can have my fun with her man." Momoko's voice was full of hatred and Kyo watched as her eyes narrowed in her anger.

"How?"

"Well, she's taking him to the party this Friday. We can…" An evil smile spread across Kyo's face as Momoko laid out her plan. It was perfect, just what he needed to teach Kagome where she belonged and get rid of the competition all at once.

"I'm in."

"Perfect. This is going to be fun," she said before wrapping her arm around one of his. The two co-conspirators sauntered into the school building, the doors swinging shut behind them just as the bell rang.

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A cool breeze blew across his chest and his shivers drew him from his deep sleep. The wolf slowly opened his eyes, letting them adjust to the bright morning sun, and took in his surroundings. It took a moment, but then he remembered. He'd fallen into a pit that had been filled with some kind of white powder that made him itch uncontrollably. He'd rushed to the stream, hoping the torture would end if he washed it off. It had worked, but he didn't remember moving to lean against a tree. He certainly hadn't covered himself with his furs, as they'd been completely soaked. He'd been so tired that he had fallen asleep just on the bank of the stream. He remembered feeling the cold water on his toes since he hadn't even made it all the way out of the water. So how did he get where he was then?

Realizing that he was still naked, just draped in his furs, he stood and quickly dressed, securing his armor and his sword. He shook his head slowly in confusion. Whatever was going on, it was getting weirder all the time. He glanced around, trying to see if there was anything that might lead to some answers, but there was nothing. He extended his senses and noticed that the monk and slayer were a bit upstream with the kitsune and Sesshoumaru's plethora of ankle-biters. Without giving it a second thought, the wolf was moving swiftly in their direction, intent on discovering if they'd also experienced odd things. Maybe they would have some clue as to where his pack was as well! Just as he left the area a bright ray of sunlight broke through the canopy of leaves, shining right on the tree he'd been seated against. There was a soft hissing sound before the sutra, having reached its end, caught fire and disappeared into ashes, leaving nothing behind to prove its existence.

Miroku and Sango both tensed as they felt the approaching demonic aura. Kirara and Kazue both immediately transformed, ready to protect their charges from the wolf if necessary. The pups and Shippo looked around nervously and everyone wondered if he'd figured it out already. They didn't have much time to worry as the telltale dust funnel cloud approached and then disappeared, leaving the wolf prince in its wake.

Kouga took in the nervous faces and tense forms, wondering why the monk and slayer looked like they were ready to attack him. They hadn't prepared to fight him for the longest time; only the hanyou still readied him self for battle. "Yo," he said with a fanged smirk. He watched as they all appeared to relax and he furrowed his brows. "I wanted to know if you've noticed anything odd happening lately."

Miroku cleared his throat, trying not to laugh as he realized Kouga still had no idea. "What exactly do you mean by odd?"

The wolf demon sighed softly. He really didn't want to go into it and had hoped they would know something and volunteer the information. Apparently that wasn't going to happen. "I woke up yesterday afternoon and I can't remember how I got there. My pack has disappeared and several other strange things have occurred since then."

"Your pack is gone?" Sango asked in a surprised voice.

"Yes and the clearing we were camped in had no signs of their departure. It held no signs that we'd been camped there at all."

"Well that is odd," Miroku replied, doing his best to sound mystified. "I am sorry to tell you Kouga that we haven't experienced anything out of the ordinary. It is odd that…" Miroku was cut off as a red blur skidded to a stop between the group and Kouga.

"What the fuck do you want, flea bag?" Inuyasha snarled. When he'd sensed the wolf's presence close to his pack, his responsibilities, he'd made it there as quickly as possible. His heart had been in his throat the entire time as he worried that Kouga had figured it out and was planning on getting his revenge.

Kouga crossed his arms over his chest and gave the hanyou an obstinate look. He snorted before looking down his nose at the half demon. "It has nothing to do with you; I was speaking with the monk and the slayer."

Inuyasha snarled and was ready to rip the wolf's head off when Miroku spoke. "Inuyasha, Kouga has just inquired as to whether we have noticed any odd happenings in the area as of late. You haven't noticed anything, have you?"

Inuyasha had to fight the smirk that wanted to stretch widely across his face as his stance relaxed. The wolf still had no idea. Everything was fine. Actually, it was better than fine. Kouga was so confused that he was actually asking them? The very idea made him want to drop to his knees and laugh until he lost his voice. "Odd?" he asked in an almost teasing voice. "I ain't noticed anything off. Whatcha talkin' 'bout?"

Sango answered this time. "His pack has gone missing and yesterday he woke up somewhere and couldn't remember how he got there."

"So, your pack finally got a brain and abandoned you? About time," he scoffed.

Kouga growled and the fur of his tail bristled. "They would never abandon their alpha," he snarled.

Inuyasha lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Of course not. Don't know what I was thinkin'. Well, we ain't seen them and nothing weird has been happenin' to us. Don't know what to tell ya. You sure you didn't send them away and forget about it? Maybe you got in a fight and took a good blow to that hard head of yours."

Kouga bristled further and snarled louder. "I didn't get in a fight you worthless half breed." He shot a glare at the group of young demons who were now all growling softly at him. "Don't know why any of you would defend this idiot," he said before turning to the monk and slayer again. "I'm gonna get to the bottom of this. If anything happens to you or if you notice someone sneakin' around, let me know. Something's up, and whatever it is needs to stop before my Kagome gets back. I wouldn't want for her to get hurt. See ya!" he called out as he spun away in his funnel cloud once more, completely ignoring the increasing in their threatening growls at the mention of 'his' Kagome.

Once they were all sure he was really gone the laughter started again. "Just fuckin' perfect! He asks us!" Inuyasha got out through almost hysterical laughter. When they finally calmed and could breathe and stand upright again, the group returned to camp, ready for breakfast. They'd worked up quite an appetite laughing at the wolf's stupidity.

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Breakfast had been quick for the hanyou who was rather impatiently waiting to hear the explanation of Rin's nightmares. He'd scarfed down his food so quickly the others were surprised he hadn't choked. There'd definitely been no time for chewing. After a quick good-bye he was out of camp and down the well, checking the area first to make sure the wolf was no where around. Kouga definitely didn't need to know about the well.

Sesshoumaru was just reaching the top of the shrine steps with Rin when he felt the magic of the well. Turning towards the well house, the demon lord and the little miko met the hanyou at the wooden doors. Peering around to ensure they were alone, Sesshoumaru nodded to Inuyasha who slipped out before closing the doors carefully behind him. The three made their way into the house and Hiromi greeted them in a cheerful tone, her earlier worries completely gone. Rin was invited to help make a batch of cookies to take back with her, something the little girl agreed to instantly, and soon the two brothers were alone in Kagome's room in silence.

Inuyasha had fought the laughter at his brother's clothes, remembering the reaction last night. Still, he couldn't keep his eyes from the odd pants, his head tilting in confusion as he tried to figure out the point in all the hanging straps and chains.

Sesshoumaru sighed at his brother's silent inspection. "Kagome picked them out. They are not uncomfortable and the benefits make the oddity worth it."

"Benefits?" the hanyou asked, lifting a brow in a perfection impression of the elder inu.

"The miko finds this Sesshoumaru quite attractive in them," he said in a suggestive tone that reminded them both of Miroku.

Inuyasha frowned. "I so didn't need to know. Forget I even asked."

Sesshoumaru chuckled, the sound almost frightening his half-brother. Inuyasha still wasn't used to the happier and less violent Western Lord. "Perhaps we should discuss what brought you here?"

"Yeah," he said slowly. "Let's do that."

"What is it that you desire to know?" The brothers sat and talked for almost an hour, Inuyasha first told him what he knew and then Sesshoumaru filled in the blanks. The hanyou had grudgingly admitted their activities regarding the wolf and was surprised when he wasn't disemboweled. The elder inu had actually been entertained by Inuyasha's play by play and while he hadn't ordered them to stop, they both agreed that Rin should be kept out of it from then on. Neither guessed that it was more than just the presence of the wolves that had caused the nightmares to return. Neither knew that it had actually been Kouga and his wolves that had led to the innocent little girl's death. Only Kagome knew, and she wasn't telling… at least not yet.

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Kagome was sitting in her desk, looking out the window and waiting for class to begin when her attention was caught. She turned in her seat to listen to the students talking beside her. They'd mentioned Hojo and she was quite curious as to what had occurred after she was injured and unconscious.

"They arrested him, and my father got to watch the interrogation. My dad said that he was nuts! He was talking to himself like crazy and then was ranting about monsters and demons; that the whole world was in danger and only he could warn us and save us."

"Really? I can't believe it! He always seemed like such a nice guy!"

"Maybe, but apparently he's obsessed with Kagome." None of the students had noticed her presence, being accustomed to her absence, so she continued to listen as they discussed her involvement, very interested in just what Hojo had done to be interrogated and what he had told the police. She needed to know if they were in trouble.

"I always knew he liked her, but obsessed? Wow!"

"Yeah. He told them that he was trying to save Kagome from the demon that was pretending to be her boyfriend or something, but that she was a demon too."

"Kagome? A demon? He's definitely lost his mind."

"They called the hospital to take him in for observation and they had to tranquilize him to get him out of there! He bit one of the orderlies!" the well informed student said dramatically.

Kagome couldn't help it. She was confused, having missed the beginning of the conversation. "Um, what did he do to get arrested to begin with?"

The small group that had been in a huddle around one desk turned slowly, each with eyes wide in surprise. "Kagome?" one of them asked.

"Yeah."

"Well, there goes that theory. My father and his partner thought that you might have been the one injured. So you weren't there?"

"Wasn't where?"

"At the mall! You didn't hear? Hojo ran through the food court at the mall yesterday with a knife in his hand that was covered in blood. Freaked everyone out. One woman got her arm broken in the mess of people trying to get away."

"I saw something about the mall on the news last night. So that was Hojo?"

The girl nodded vigorously. "I guess he said that he cut you somehow… but then he did say you were a demon too. You don't look like a demon to me!" Kagome's eyes widened a bit more with each new revelation but relaxed as the student decided nothing was out of the ordinary with her.

"Nope," she said with a grin. "Not a demon. I was at the mall yesterday with Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi and my boyfriend but we didn't see Hojo. It had to have happened after we had lunch then."

"I wonder if he imagined it then. But there was blood on the knife. Dad said they're gonna test it." No one noticed the worried look that flitted over the miko's face for a moment as she began to chew her bottom lip nervously. "Did you know he was obsessed with you?"

Trying to act as normal as possible Kagome shook her head. "Not really. I mean, he always brought me gifts, even after I told him not to. He never got it that I didn't want to date him. But nothing was weird until Saturday. He showed up on Friday and met my boyfriend and when we were shopping on Saturday we caught him following us. It was weird. So they think he's crazy?"

The cop's daughter nodded with a giant smirk. "Oh yeah! Unless, your boyfriend and you are both horrible dangerous demons planning to take over the world and turn us all into things like you."

Kagome let out a real laugh. It was just too funny, hearing what he was thinking. "Not that I know of."

"Did you hear he bit the orderlies and they had to tranquilize him?"

Kagome nodded at one of the other students. "I just can't believe that he's crazy," she said thoughtfully. "He was a bit dense, but he always seemed harmless." She watched as the girl with all the information pulled out her phone and began hitting buttons rapidly. "Whatcha doin'?" she asked curiously.

"I'm texting my Dad to tell him that you're here and fine. They were going to go to the shrine and check on you."

"Oh," the miko said, letting out a sigh of relief. If they knew she was fine maybe they wouldn't go to her house, or maybe they would at least wait until she would be there too. She didn't know how they would handle it without her, but she didn't want to find out either.

The room was suddenly silent as the teacher walked in and stood behind his desk. "Alright now, everyone take your seats. The exam is a big one and you're going to want to use every minute of this period." There were low groans but everyone obeyed.

As the tests were passed back in the rows Kagome glanced out the window for a moment. _'Well, at least they didn't believe him. Poor Hojo. He really did see a demon… and I guess I probably sounded like one.'_ She turned to stare at the thick packet on her desk that was her science final exam. _'I can't think about that now. Come on, Kagome. Focus!'_

"And you can now begin," the teacher announced. The room filled with the rustling of paper and the scratching of pencils, all thoughts of everything but the test forced from everyone's minds.

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Author's note:

Two announcements:

First, Brainshake, or LazyJenny, (Gee, I have no idea which to call you anymore!) just sent me the most beautiful thing. She drew a fanart for SWtPF and it can be found at

http://lazyjenny. :// lazyjenny .deviantart .com/ art/ Kagome –and –the –dog -pile- 77105294

take out spaces

If it doesn't show up here, then check out my livejournal, the link to which is in my profile.

And Second, the results of the Dokuga Awards are in and SWtPF won:

3 rd Place Best Lemonfic

3 rd Place Best Portrayal Sesshoumaru

2 nd Place Best Portrayal Kagome

and

1 st Place Best Romance!!

Thanks to everyone who nominated or voted for the story! I'm really excited!


	77. Make Me Bad

1**Chapter 77 – Make Me Bad**

Hearing a high pitched trilling sound, Officer Tantei pulled out his cell phone and flipped it open, seeing that he had a text message from his daughter. He read through it quickly before giving a short laugh. "Well, the Higurashi girl is just fine. She also says she didn't have any contact with the boy that day."

"Oh?" Office Nori said, turning to look at his partner. "Well, I guess that saves us a trip. How'd you know?"

"My daughter goes to the same school and apparently they are in the same class in the morning. She talked to her and everything."

"I knew that kid was out of his mind." He felt a vibration and pulled out his own phone. "It's the lab. Tests on the blood are in and they want to see us."

The two officers finished their coffee and rose from their desks, heading downstairs to the lab, hoping to find out just whose blood was on the knife, if it was blood at all.

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Sesshoumaru smiled as he watched Rin walking towards the well house, one hand clutching Inuyasha's and the other carrying a bag filled with the chocolate chip cookies she'd helped Hiromi make. It had been surprisingly easy to convince the little girl to return to the feudal era with the hanyou, but then the cookies certainly helped. She couldn't wait to share her home cooking with the rest of the pack. She'd even made one especially for Jaken and it was in its own little baggie to ensure it didn't get mixed in with the rest.

Once the two were gone, Hiromi and Sesshoumaru set out. They had some things to do that could only be done when Kagome was at school. He was rather anxious about the whole thing. He didn't know a lot about it though it had been his idea in the first place and he wanted everything to be perfect.

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Kagura had read over the scroll several times during the night, both in an attempt to fully comprehend it and as a way to pass the time. She was just about asleep where she sat when she heard rather incoherent babbling coming closer to the entrance of the cave she was holed up in waiting for the witch's return. Tucking the scroll in her sleeve for safe keeping, she rose to greet the old woman. The witch couldn't know that she'd taken it and Naraku certainly couldn't discover what she'd found. What was written on that ancient bit of paper was much too important to her freedom.

"Naraku is in need of my services again?" the old woman croaked out when she saw the dark hanyou's minion in her home.

"Things did not go entirely as planned and he requests your presence as he has need of additional information regarding the shards." Kagura watched as the wrinkled female cracked a wicked grin and she had to suppress a shudder. Perhaps Naraku shouldn't have quite so much trust in this witch after all.

"This old woman is not surprised. Your master is not in the habit of obtaining all the information. No, he's much too focused on his goals. It shall be his downfall in the end, no doubt about it. Naraku's impatience and ego will be the end of him."

Kagura smirked behind her fan. She didn't know just how right she was. "He has already been waiting for too long. We should go."

"Yes, yes dearie. Let an old woman gather her things and then we'll be off." Kagura simply nodded and made her way out of the cave to enjoy some fresh air before she was forced to return to the stench of death and decay that was her master's lair.

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It had taken her several days but finally the work was done, and it was absolutely breathtaking in her opinion. She only hoped that her Lord would agree and more importantly that the miko did. She'd been only slightly surprised when she'd received the orders from Jaken but in all truth she'd been expecting it for some time now. Most of the servants hadn't noticed the small changes in their Lord, but she had known him far too long to be fooled. He was no longer the cold, impassive demon he once was. Now there was a light in his eyes, a happiness that shone from deep inside, and a hope that made her want to smile every time she saw it.

Lady Misaki had been right, but then she'd never doubted her Lady for a single moment. She had been there to witness the change in her when she had the dream, and she'd been the first one the Lady confided in about it. Natsuko smiled softly as she carefully wrapped the items in silk and secured it with ribbons. _'There,'_ she thought to herself. _'It is absolutely perfect. The miko is a lucky girl indeed.' _

With her task done, the servant made her way to her Lord's private chambers and laid the package on the soft silks and furs that covered his bed. Closing the door behind her, she made her way to the gardens to ensure that they were being properly cared for in the absence of Lady Rin. That little girl loved the gardens so much, and it would not be wise to allow them to go wild while she was away and not able to care for them. Their Lord would certainly not be pleased in the slightest. Natsuko gave a rather mysterious smile as she passed the bench under the Sakura tree, the one her Lady preferred. Soon they would return to the palace. Soon they would come looking for it, right where Lady Misaki had left it all those years ago.

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"Miroku?" Sango asked from where she sat beside the monk, both leaning against the trunk of a large tree at the edge of the field where the children were currently playing.

"Yes, my dear Sango?" he replied with a smirk.

"Do you… do you really think that we'll survive? That we'll be able to kill Naraku and finally move on with our lives?"

He turned his head and took in her worried appearance. He stretched his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to rest against him. "I think that worrying about what is going to happen will do nothing but make you frown, and I much prefer it when you're smiling."

She tried to fight the small smile his words caused and lost. "Could you be serious for a minute?! I mean… this whole prophecy thing means we were destined to be the ones to fight him but it didn't say that we would all live through it. There are so many things I want to do… and then… then there's Kohaku. What's going to happen to him? Even if we manage to free him, Kagome is going to have to remove the shard from his back eventually and it's the only thing keeping him alive."

"What is meant to happen will happen. We will fight and if we die, then at least we died knowing we defeated him, that the world is better off because of our sacrifices. And Kohaku… I know you want to save him, to make everything alright, but I am unsure as to whether he would wish to live on with the knowledge of all the things he has been forced to do by Naraku's hand."

"But it wasn't his fault!" she cried out in defense of her only living relation.

"I know that, Sango. I do. But knowing that he could do nothing to stop it does not remove the weight of all the lives he was forced to take. The guilt will remain. Perhaps it would be better if…"

"Don't… please, don't say it…" Sango was close to tears, her tough exterior crumbling under the pressure of so many things. She wanted to kill Naraku for what he did to her family, her village, her people. She wanted to make him suffer for the horrible things he forced Kohaku to do. But most of all she wanted to save him, her last family member. He was all she had left, and even though she knew he was right, that Kohaku would be better off being allowed to die rather than be forced to live with the knowledge of his deeds, she just couldn't accept the idea of him dying, really and fully dying. Then she would truly be alone.

Miroku pulled the distraught love of his life into his arms. "Sango, whatever happens, you must know that we are all here for you and we will continue to be. You are a part of our family now. You have Kagome as your sister, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru as brothers, all the boys and Shippo as nephews and Rin as a niece. Even Jaken is a part of our family, our pack. You will never be alone. And you have me," he said with a smirk. "Can't forget about me."

Sango rolled her eyes but smiled, wiping away the tears that had just started to fall. "No, I could never forget you. If I let my guard down for a second you're grabbing my ass! I can never forget you." She let out a sigh, snuggling herself closer to his body. "Thanks though," she whispered. "I guess whatever happens… happens. Never really thought about it that way. I'm an aunt!"

"You're an aunt nine times over. It will be interesting to see how long it takes us to catch up."

She frowned for a moment before her eyes widened and she leaned back and smacked his arm. "Catch up? You honestly think I'm going to have nine of your children?"

"You know he does," Inuyasha said with a laugh. "But you don't have a chance in the world of catching up. Not with the way Sesshoumaru's lookin' at Kagome."

Sango looked up and smiled before opening her arms to Rin. "I was worried about you! Honey, you shouldn't leave camp alone, especially not in the middle of the night," the slayer said in a motherly tone, making the monk at her side smirk.

"Rin is sorry. Rin didn't mean to worry you." The little black haired girl looked at the ground for a moment before remembering her package. "Rin has cookies!" she said with a huge grin.

"Hey! Runts! Come 'ere! Rin's got somethin' to share with ya!" Inuyasha hollered towards the boys playing in the field. It didn't take long for there to be seven smiling inus and one kitsune all looking forward to whatever it was Rin had for them. They sat down in a clump and everyone enjoyed the cookies, their compliments making Rin beam with pride. And she made sure to protect the one for Jaken since he was back at their camp, asleep according to the others.

Once they'd finished stuffing their faces, the boys demanded information from both of the recent time travelers, nearly begging for anything at all about their Mama. Inuyasha couldn't help but smirk. There was no way the wench was leaving when this all was over. She had too much to stay for. These kids ensured that he would never have to live without her, the knowledge of which made the hanyou happier than he'd been for a long time, maybe even ever. By the time she came back at the end of the week he knew that there would be no way they would ever allow her to leave for that long again. _'Finally,' _he thought. '_Someone else to tell her to stay. Now I won't end up being sat to hell cuz I don't want her to go._' His smirk widened even more. She would be lucky to ever make it through the well again if they had anything to say about it.

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Riding in the car was a lot more nerve-wracking without Kagome beside him, but he managed to live through it. When Hiromi took him inside he couldn't believe the delicious smells the place was filled with. He looked through the glass for a while, taking in all the different styles before she drew his attention to a book filled with pictures of nothing but what they were looking for, in every shape, size, and theme possible. He finally managed to decide on one and he watched as Hiromi spoke to the man behind the counter and paid in advance. They would have to come back and pick it up closer to the surprise.

Where they went next, Sesshoumaru was certain that Kagome's mother couldn't possibly afford anything in the entire place but she insisted he look around. He looked at everything, amazed by the workmanship. Human technology and talent must have advanced a great deal, he decided, as no human he'd ever seen possessed anything so beautiful. His mother had a few pieces that rivaled the perfection of these, but those were made by demons, experts, only the best for the Lady of the West. The thought made him smile. Soon Kagome would be the Lady of the West. Soon she would be his mate.

Just when he was certain that while everything was beautiful nothing was what he was looking for; he felt a tug towards one of the display cases towards the back of the shop that he'd missed. As soon as he laid eyes on it he knew he had to have it. It wasn't perfect. Hell, it wasn't even whole, but there was something about it, something that told him he had to give it to her, and he pointed it out to Hiromi. His eyes narrowed as he took in her expression of surprise, like she recognized it and hadn't expected to find it there.

"How did… I…" She shook off her shock and motioned to the shop keeper that they had made a selection. The man unlocked the glass case and pulled out the specified item, laying it on a velvet mat for their closer inspection. Hiromi looked at the man for a moment before speaking. "Do you know anything about it? It looks to be an antique."

"We really don't know much about it, just that it was brought in a few weeks ago by the previous owner to be sold. It appears to be broken, which is why the price is so low, but it is still strikingly beautiful, don't you agree?"

Sesshoumaru looked at the man on the other side of the counter with suspicion in his eyes. Something that the man had just said was a lie, but he couldn't determine which part. Why would the man lie, though? The taiyoukai decided that it didn't matter and apparently Hiromi agreed because by the time he returned his focus to the item on the counter it was gone. She nodded towards the man who was placing it in a small velvet box. He watched as she handed the man a small plastic card like Kagome had used to pay on all their shopping excursions and in just a few minutes he was holding a small bag with the precious gift in it. He couldn't wait to see her face when she opened it. Something about it just screamed Kagome and he knew she would love it.

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Kagome let out a sigh and stared at the papers in front of her while slowly eating her lunch. She felt like she'd done alright on her science exam, at least a well as could be expected considering how many days she'd missed. All around her people were wasting their lunch period gossiping, mostly about Hojo, though how the whole school knew already she had no idea. She was trying her hardest to review her notes before her government exam, but it was becoming increasingly difficult as she heard more and more students forgetting all about Hojo in lieu of discussing her.

Of course they had no idea she could hear them, but all over the cafeteria she could hear students discussing her and Sesshoumaru. She could hear girls talking about just how attractive he was, which caused her to feel both smug and angry. She didn't like them talking about **her** mate like that! _'Where did that come from?'_ she thought to herself, surprised at the level of rage boiling just under the surface. Kagome forced herself to calm and tried to block out the female population, focusing instead on the males who were complaining about how the 'pretty boy' stole their girl away, like she would have dated any of them anyway. She rolled her eyes, finding it rather amusing that so many guys were interested in her and she had no idea. Apparently they weren't interested enough to make a move or anything. At least Hojo put some kind of effort into it.

Her focus was diverted once more as she heard her name followed closely by 'Mama'. She knew it was going to happen, but really, how could they possibly believe that she was the biological mother of Rin? She wasn't even seventeen yet! It just wasn't physically possible, but apparently her classmates had some kind of deficit when it came to addition and subtraction. She wasn't the slightest bit surprised when she recognized Momoko's voice among the gossipers. She had to be having a field day with it, considering her love for trying to make Kagome look bad. The miko shrugged her shoulders and tried to hear only her breathing as she returned her attention to her studies. There was only ten more minutes of lunch and she was going to take advantage of each and every one.

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They were beginning to get worried. Kouga had said he would be back later the same day but it was already past noon of the next. Just where was their alpha? Had something gone wrong when he went to retrieve their 'guest of honor'? They'd assumed it was Kagome so perhaps, Inuyasha had interfered somehow? But they were sure that Kouga would have returned by now, even if he had to return empty handed. They'd gathered all the things he'd requested and they now sat around the camp fire, eating and drinking their fill since no one else was going to, apparently. None of them could bear to see good meat and sake go to waste.

Ginta and Hakaku were the only ones even remotely sober, but they were well on their way to inebriated as well. They'd discussed their course of action during the morning hours and decided that they would wait a while longer. None of them wanted to carry all the items they'd gathered all the way back to where they'd camped close to Kagome's group. It was too far and with their luck Kouga would turn up and make them carry it all they way back. No, they were going to do just as they were told and sit and await his return. And when he did make it back they would already be celebrating whatever it was they were supposed to be prepared for.

"D'ya think that he forgot about us?" Ginta asked through a mouthful of meat.

"I (gulp) don't think so. He's probably (gulp) busy fighting with Inuyasha." Hakaku said between giant swigs of sake.

"When's he gonna learn? Kagome's never gonna be his mate."

"You know he never will. Even if he's realized it, he can't let it show. He made such a big deal about declaring her his woman that to take it back now would be humiliating."

Hakaku grabbed a chunk of raw meat and tore into it with his fangs. "Like it isn't humiliating to be run off by a hanyou all the time?"

Ginta almost choked as he started to laugh. "You've got that right!"

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Naraku was once again cursing his temper for breaking that stupid mirror. He wasn't a patient hanyou, not by anyone's standards, and he'd sent Kagura a whole day ago to retrieve the witch. "If I find out that she's not doing as I told her she will pay in the most painful manner I can think of." He sat in silence for a few minutes, just fantasizing about all the ways he could hurt his rebellious incarnation. She could definitely be fun at times. Her inability to die, since he held her heart, made punishing her so much more pleasurable. He didn't have to worry about going too far and being short one servant. He could take out all his frustrations on her and she would heal. Sure, it took some time, but it was worth it.

He needed that witch! He needed to find out more about the spell that she placed on the genuine shard. Would it affect any demon that used it? Or just any female? Or was the spell specific so that it would only work on its intended victim? He needed to know, and he needed to know yesterday! He was beginning to get rather angry at anything and everything. Nothing seemed to be going the way he wanted lately. First Kikyo was killed by that interfering taiyoukai and then he shattered Kanna's mirror, leaving him no choice but to reabsorb her. He was so lucky as to find out that Kagome was missing but his saimyosho had failed to find her before she was somehow returned to the hanyou's side. Then came the discovery that Lord Sesshoumaru's pups were still alive and apparently curse free. All the planning and work that had gone into that curse, all the time he spent perfecting his Sesshoumaru act, all of it wasted, worthless.

Then he decided that he wanted Shinya, the youngest of the black panthers, as his own personal slave for his sole use to fulfill all of his dark and twisted fantasies. Sure, he knew they were dark and twisted. That just made them even better. Knowing that they were oh so wrong just made them even more oh so right in his mind. His mind went off on a tangent then as he pictured all the things he would have done to her, would have made her do, if only things had gone according to plan. "Fuck! Why can nothing go right?! Why must I always be denied that which I most desire?" he yelled into the empty room.

He was definitely displeased. Not only was he not able to give her the shard; he had no way of knowing which of the panthers received which shard. What is if was one of the males? Sure, he was dark and twisted, but he didn't want a male, or at least not just a male. Again his train of thought escaped him as images of his perfect little demoness doll being used in any and every possible way by a perfect demon doll also under his control filled his mind. Then he would not only be able to live out every single little thing he'd ever imagined, but he would also have a great source of entertainment.

"Should have thought of that earlier," he mused. It would have been all the better to have siblings. Then not only would they suffer the torture and humiliation of being forced to act and react as he pleased as their minds were fully conscious but completely powerless, they would also be committing incest. Ah, just one more dark and twisted pleasure that he could have had if only things had gone as planned. That and if he'd managed to think of it earlier. Sure, he could try again. He could find some other beautiful demoness to ensnare, but his evil heart was set on Shinya. She was such a dark beauty, with raven hair and golden tanned skin, but she also held an air of innocence, something that creatures like him loved defiling. He was certain she was a virgin and most likely entirely inexperienced. Oh the things he wanted to show her, the things he would force her to experience.

It was settled. He would find some way to get her. If he had to sacrifice another shard and have it placed in her forcibly he would. He wanted her and no other! Only the sweet, innocent, and beautiful youngest of the black panther tribe would do. But he still needed to know what would become of the first spelled shard, as well as the poisoned counterfeits. He would most definitely not be pleased if he were to discover that his little Shinya had been poisoned by one of the other shards. He would have to find a way to either take her before the shards were distributed or take back all five of the shards to make sure she was safe. _'Safe,'_ he thought, a dark chuckle rising from his throat to echo in the empty room. _'Safe from poison perhaps, but she will never be safe from me.'_

Just when he was about to send for the boy he felt her approach. "Finally," he snarled, all of his impatience and frustration returning. "She will suffer for making me wait." He arranged himself in the large throne-like chair and waited, knowing they would be entering in just a moment. There was a loud knock on the rotting wooden door and he called out a short "Enter", watching as the ancient witch entered, followed by his last remaining incarnation. "It's about time," he hissed angrily.

"My apologies, Lord Naraku," the old woman said in a crackling, sickly sounding voice. "I was away at another's request. Your servant brought me just as soon as I arrived home."

Naraku narrowed his eyes on the two. He didn't like the idea of the witch working for others when he might have need of her and he wasn't entirely sure that he believed her anyway. It was always possible that Kagura had in some way convinced her to lie as a cover for the delay. He was about to question them both further in an attempt to determine the truth of the statement but when he remembered why he'd sent for the witch in the first place he decided Kagura's fate could wait. "You will tell me of the spell. What will occur if it is used by one other than the intended?"

"Ah, I take it she did not receive the correct shard?"

"Answer the question, hag, or I will silence you permanently."

She nodded, hiding her smirk expertly. "The spell will only activate while in contact with one you desire, my Lord."

Naraku let out a small sigh of relief. At least he wouldn't end up with the mother. Sure, he could figure out **something** to do with her but he had the feeling she would be more trouble than she was worth. The dark hanyou continued his questioning of the witch, not noticing when Kagura slipped out of the room silently.

The wind witch walked carefully, stepping over the boards she knew creaked and groaned in protest. She had to hide the scroll somewhere, just in case he decided to punish her for the delay, even though it wasn't her fault. It didn't matter to him. She hoped that he would be pleased with all the old mountain witch told him because otherwise his anger would be taken out on her. Kagura silently slid open the door to the quarters that Kohaku used when they were forced to remain in the disgusting, rotting excuse for a castle. When she entered the young boy's eyes gained a light they had been missing previously and the brown orbs met with her crimson ones. She could see the curiosity in his gaze. It was expected since she rarely came to him in his room. It meant that she had something important to share, and he soon found out what when she slipped the scroll from her sleeve and handed it to him.

His father had taught him the very bare basics of reading and writing. He hadn't been expected to need more. He wasn't a lord or a scribe or anything else that required such knowledge. He was a fighter, a demon slayer, and their knowledge was passed down through the generations with stories and legends. Slayers didn't keep a written collection of their knowledge, knowing that if it were to fall into the wrong hands it could be used for evil purposes. If demons knew what they knew about other demons, their weaknesses and faults, then the information could be used in battles, and it could lead to an all out demon war as they fought against each other in search of greater and greater power and wealth.

Kohaku unrolled the ancient-looking paper and he scanned over the symbols, looking for any he could recognize. "I cannot read," he whispered.

"Shit," Kagura hissed. "I can only read some of it. I'm going to have to take it to someone to find out all of what it says."

"What does it say that means anything to us?"

Kagura smirked wickedly before she took the scroll from his hands, sitting down beside him. She began pointing out characters, identifying them for him as she went along. His brown eyes widened more and more as she went on. They definitely needed to find out the entirety of the scroll because what she had read to him was important, very important. It might just be their chance to escape him. It clearly said that the great evil, who they assumed was Naraku, would be defeated, but the details of it, the when, who, and how was lost to their illiteracy. When she'd finished she rolled it back up and handed it to the boy once again.

"You hide it somewhere in here. He would never search your room. He still trusts you completely. I will have to take it to someone to have them read it to me." Slowly a smile spread across her face, a look of genuine happiness. "The miko! Kagome, I have seen her reading and writing before. She should be able to decipher it, and if she cannot, Lord Sesshoumaru surely could. Perhaps this will be enough to prove to them that I wish to assist them in that bastard's downfall. Maybe after I give them this they will trust me."

Kohaku smiled back, and it actually reached his eyes, something she'd never seen before. Suddenly the boy had been given hope, and even the smallest amount of hope could make a world of difference. He might actually find a way to be free. He might be able to see his sister once again, and not from opposite sides of the battlefield. His young tortured life had hope for the future once again, hope that Naraku could and would be defeated. Too bad he wouldn't live to see it.

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Neither officer quite knew what to say, how to respond to what they'd just been told. The lab had to have made a mistake somehow. The boy wasn't **that** crazy, was he?

"Are you sure?" Office Nori asked slowly.

The lab tech nodded with a half-smile. "I ran the test four times, just to be sure. The blood on the knife isn't human."

"But then what is it? Is it blood at all?" Officer Tantei said in confusion.

"It's blood alright. It took me a while to get a result for such an obscure sample. It's dog's blood. Akita, to be specific."

"You mean the kid stabbed a dog before running through the food court? That doesn't make any sense!"

Comprehension slowly dawned in Officer Nori's eyes. "Wait now. He said that they were demons, that they growled, that the boyfriend had fangs and claws, right?"

"You don't think…"

"Think that he somehow believed that whatever poor dog he ran into was his romantic rival, that Higurashi girl's boyfriend? It might just be possible. Makes a kind of sick sense. He is crazy after all. Maybe he was having some sort of hallucination."

Officer Tantei nodded and they both thanked the lab technician before heading back up to their office. "But then where is the dog?" he asked his partner as they slowly climbed the stairs.

"Hell, the thing could be anywhere. If he didn't hurt it enough to kill it then it would have ran. Somebody might have picked it up and taken it to a vet, or maybe it found its way home. Or maybe it's laying dead in an alley somewhere. Where it is doesn't really matter. The kid's gonna be in the psych ward for a good long time just based on the interrogation. The information that he stabbed a dog? That'll just put the icing on the cake."

"I guess that means the case is closed then?"

"Yeah. Besides the mall thing, without the actual dog and a complaint filed by the owner there's nothing to charge him with. He'd be found unable to stand trial the way he is. He'll probably just end up in the nut house until they decide he's safe to release."

"I suppose the girl, Kagome, got off pretty easy then. Her and her boyfriend got lucky that they weren't staring down the end of that knife. Feel kinda sorry for the dog though."

"Always a softie for the animals, aren't you, Nori?"

Officer Tantei laughed. "Hey, considering what we see every day, I'd take a dog over a human any day."

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They'd made it back to the shrine just in time for Sesshoumaru to start his solitary walk to Kagome's school. It was certainly interesting. He had no idea just how bold the females of the time were until he was alone and in public. He'd had at least five females, all dressed in much too little clothing, hand him small pieces of paper with numbers and names on them, some saying "Call me," whatever that meant. He'd simply stuffed them in his pocket and continued on his way, figuring he could ask Kagome about them later.

A few merely waved at him, and quite a few winked. One had been so bold as to walk up in front of him and put her hand on his chest. He'd had a hard time removing her from his person while controlling the urge to rip her arm off. No female was allowed to touch him but his Kagome, and certainly not strange women in the street that smelled of too much perfume and sex. He found himself with a very strong desire to take a shower. Maybe he could convince Kagome to assist him? He smirked at the thought and found that he had arrived at his destination, apparently a little early.

He leaned against the waist high wall that surrounded the school grounds to wait for his sweet miko mate to be. When he heard a shrill ringing sound coming from inside the building he guessed it was the 'bell' she'd mentioned earlier. Knowing she would be coming out soon he took the time to look around, curious about the place that, if she wasn't destined for something else, she would have spent her entire day five days a week. He'd heard as students began filing out of the school, everyone talking and laughing as they went, but he still didn't turn his eyes to the entrance.

His attention was captured when a soft, feminine voice whispered to him. He knew it wasn't Kagome immediately. He could tell not only from her scent or her voice but also by her aura, but he was curious as to who was approaching him here while he was waiting for another. He almost smirked when he recognized the girl as the one they'd run in to at the children's clothing shop. Apparently she hadn't quite gotten the picture as she was very obviously arching her back to draw attention to her breasts that were almost escaping from her way too small and only half buttoned uniform shirt, trying to entice him he assumed.

"What was your name again?" she asked in a breathy voice.

"I do not believe I told you my name, and I do not intend to now, either."

Momoko narrowed her eyes in anger, frustrated that this male didn't seem even the slightest bit attracted to her. She just didn't understand it. Every guy she'd ever met had wanted her. Why was this one any different? She was determined to ruin this for Kagome, and smirked when she realized that he was waiting for her, which meant that she would be coming any moment now. She leaned in closer to the tall and incredibly sexy male, one hand coming up to trace lazy patterns on his chest with her odd looking fingernails. He stared at her fingers in an attempt to figure out why she appeared to have something similar to claws but in a bright pink. They were obviously fake but he just couldn't understand the point. What would a human female need with fake pink claws?

She was sure she was getting somewhere with him. Apparently he liked her nails, which caused her to smile. _'Twenty bucks well spent,'_ she thought as her other hand came up to touch the tips of his long silver strands that were lying over one shoulder. Momoko let out a yelp of surprise when she was suddenly yanked backwards by her hair.

"That's just fucking great! Now I'm going to have to wash his hair **and** throw away that shirt! I liked that shirt! What the hell do you think you're doing touching him? He's mine!" Kagome hissed; her lips curled in a threatening snarl.

"What the fuck? You bitch! How dare you pull my hair!" Momoko screeched at the very angry miko.

Sesshoumaru looked on, lost somewhere between arousal and confusion. She was acting more and more like an inu bitch every day. The way she was defending her claim on him made him want to throw her over a shoulder and take to the sky so they could make it to her bed faster. He was confused too though. Sure, Kagome swore every now and then, a habit picked up from Inuyasha no doubt, but he didn't think that she would physically attack someone, especially in her time.

Kagome met eyes with her enemy and sneered. "I had to get you off him somehow!"

"It sure didn't seem like he wanted me off of him. We were having a nice time getting to know each other. I don't think he's as much yours as you think he is!"

Kagome's eyes flitted from the offending female to her male who had a bewildered but heated look in his eyes. "You think so? If he wants you he's welcome to have you, but I can promise you that he isn't so stupid as to stick his dick in something as overused as you!"

By now a crowd was gathering, everyone **very** interested in who was fighting and why. There were cheers and shouts from the swarm of students around the two girls and Sesshoumaru, some laughing as they agreed with Kagome's remark. Sesshoumaru was watching Kagome closely. Something about her aura was off and it dawned on him that he needed to get her away from the crowd and especially the whore before something bad happened.

"You're one to talk, **Mama**!"

"Oh fuck you! She's my daughter, yes. I love her like my own, but I didn't give birth to her! How stupid are you that you can't do the math on that one? How'd you make it this far in school? Are you offering yourself to the teachers for grades just like you give yourself to the boys for attention?" Kagome was absolutely livid. How dare this girl even think to speak of her pup?

Sesshoumaru was up and behind Kagome in an instant, his arms wrapping around her waist. He buried his face in her hair and let out a soft low growl that was meant to calm an inu bitch. It was the only thing he could think of to defuse the situation and he refused to allow his beast the freedom it desired to calm its mate. He felt her tense muscles go limp in his hold and moved his face to the side to see Momoko over her shoulder. "You would do well to keep your filthy hands to yourself in the future, or I may just allow her to teach you the lesson you sorely need."

Momoko's mouth dropped open in shock and for a moment she looked rather like a fish out of water. Everyone in the crowd was laughing now and she found herself completely and utterly humiliated by Kagome Higurashi once again. She watched, frozen, as Sesshoumaru moved to put an arm around her shoulders and led her away, the crowd parting in front of them. They were almost a block away before Kagome made a sound and he was surprised at what she chose.

Kagome started laughing. She couldn't believe she'd just done that, that she had actually said those things. She'd wanted so badly to just dig her claws into the bitch. She looked down at her hands and was only half surprised to see that she actually did have claws at that moment. "Sesshoumaru?" she said while still giggling. It was just exhilarating to say what she was thinking for once, to not take shit from anyone. It felt wonderful.

"Yes, my little miko?" he purred in her ear.

"Look," she held out her hands. "I have claws. And I had the strongest desire to gut her with my bare hands. I think maybe your youki is doing more than we thought."

He slowed to a stop and took her hand in his own, the one not busy being wrapped around her shoulders. He slid the tip of his finger across the pointed edge of the claw on her index finger and was surprised when he saw blood instantly. They were real, sharp, and deadly. He was even more surprised when Kagome grasped his hand and brought it up to her face. First she just seemed to be examining the injury that was already beginning to heal, but then she pulled his bloody fingertip into her mouth and his knees almost buckled at the feeling of her tongue flitting across his digit, cleaning it of all remnants of his blood.

"This Sesshoumaru agrees," he said once she released him and he regained full control of his mind and body again. "Since when do you desire to taste my blood?"

She looked up into his eyes and smiled at him. "I don't know… but I liked it."

She was startled when his hands both came up to her mouth, moving her upper lip just a bit higher. "And since when do you have fangs?"

Her own hands came up, fingers extended to slide along her teeth. She winced when she cut both of her index fingers on her new fangs and immediately found her fingers in his mouth. "Hey! No fair!"

He smirked at her once he released her fingers, both perfectly healed. "And just what is it that you claim is not fair?"

"You got two fingers! Come here!"

He pulled his hands out of her reach. "As arousing as I find this, perhaps we should take it somewhere more private?" He chuckled softly as her eyes widened in surprise, and she looked around like she was just realizing that they were walking along the sidewalk where others were passing both on foot and in cars. "Come, Kagome. This Sesshoumaru very much desires for you to do as you said earlier."

She took his offered hand and they continued to walk. "What did I say earlier?"

"That you would have to wash this Sesshoumaru's hair. I do believe a shower would be nice and relaxing, don't you agree?" He knew he'd won when he smelled her arousal, filling his nose with its sweet, seductive, and completely unique scent that was purely Kagome.

Kagome leaned closer to him and murmured in a teasing tone, "Sounds good to me."


	78. Citrus Bookends

**Chapter 78 – Citrus Bookends**

He wished that he could use his demon speed. Their walk back to the shrine was taking much longer than he remembered and he was using almost every single ounce of control to keep himself from scooping her up and taking off. He couldn't wait to get her up to her room and into the shower. Seeing her defending her claim was just too arousing for words. Whatever was happening to her was intriguing, and watching her taste his blood was indescribable. She was acting more and more like an inu every day, and the claws and fangs were just more proof that she was changing some how, but whether or not is was because of her fate or because of the shared youki or the blood he gave he didn't know.

Finally they reached the bottom of the huge flight of stairs and he turned to Kagome quickly, lifting her into his arms, her legs wrapping around his waist and an incredible source of heat pressed firmly against him. He dashed up the stairs, careful not to make it too obvious that he wasn't human but still making good time. She laughed as they made it to the front door in seconds. When he opened the door and entered the house, Hiromi peeked her head around the entrance to the kitchen with a smile.

"Hey Mama! When my friends get here could you tell them to wait in the living room?"

"Sure honey, but why? Is something wrong?"

Kagome blushed a little but quickly found an excuse. "Gotta figure out how to get rid of the fangs and claws, or at least hide them or something," she said while holding her fingers up and baring her fangs to show off the newest additions. 

Hiromi gave the couple a rather knowing smile before nodding her agreement. "Alright dear, but don't take too long now. You know how impatient they can get."

"Okay, Mama!" Kagome called over Sesshoumaru's shoulder, the taiyoukai already on his way up the stairs to her room. In an instant she found herself pressed against her bedroom door, smirking as she heard him click the lock into place. "Eager?" she asked with a laugh. Her question was answered when her lips were covered by her demon's; his kiss hard and almost desperate, full of his need for her and only her.

When he released her lips to allow her to breathe, he made his way down her throat to the collar of the shirt he'd been forbidden to shred. "Take it off or you will not be able to wear it again." He watched with interest as Kagome fumbled with the little red scarf and struggled with the buttons before finally just yanking it over her head, her claws having greatly reduced her dexterity.

"If these are permanent they're gonna take some getting used to," she said before unzipping the side of her skirt, not that it could go anywhere while she was wrapped around him like she was. "You have to put me down if you want me to take it off." The only answer she received was a grunt as he allowed her legs to slide from his hips until her feet met the floor. She moved a bit away from the door and her skirt dropped around her ankles.

Sesshoumaru smirked as he took in the sight of her in just her sky blue satin panties and bra and chuckled when she started tugging the bottom of his shirt up. She couldn't get it all the way off because of their difference in height and when she growled in frustration he finally helped her out, pulling it over his head and dropping it to the floor. Her hands were immediately working on removing his pants and in seconds they were standing in front of each other, both clad only in their underwear. Kagome grinned, flashing her fangs at him and he was instantly on her again, his left hand holding firmly to her ass while he used his right to trace smaller and smaller circles around her nipple through the satin with the tip of a claw. As his tongue slipped into her mouth she felt as he traced her teeth, cutting it as he grazed her fangs. The taste of his blood in her mouth made her moan and she sucked lightly on the small cut, encouraging it to bleed more, but his rapid healing stopped the flow much too quickly.

He chuckled as she growled in frustration once again, the sound of his amusement causing her to meet his eyes. "Perhaps we should continue this in the shower? Your friends could arrive at any time." Her eyes flashed in excitement and she moved into the bathroom, pulling him along by the hand. He watched as she reached in and turned on the water, letting it run for a moment to allow the water to heat up. She turned her back to him and pulled her hair over one shoulder. "There's absolutely not way I'm gonna be able to get this thing off with these." He happily obeyed the silent request, unhooking the small satin item that hid her perfect breasts, something he was sure should be considered a crime, and she slipped it off. . She still faced away from him as she hooked her fingers through the sides of her panties and slid them slowly over her hips and down her legs until she let them fall to the floor, his eyes following the motion intently.

Kagome stepped into the shower stall and then turned to Sesshoumaru with a raised brow. "Are you coming or not?" She wasn't surprised this time when he used his speed to shed his boxers and appeared behind her, hands on her hips, in an instant. She closed the shower door and leaned back against him, the hot water running down the front of her body. His arms moved around her, holding her close as they both reveled in the skin to skin contact. Unable to just stand and hold her, at least at the moment, Sesshoumaru leaned down to place soft, brushing kisses to her collarbone. When she tried to move forward he pulled her back, not wanting to lose the feeling of having her naked body pressed against his own. "You have to let me go and get under the water if you want your hair washed."

He thought it over for a moment, finally deciding he loved having her wash his hair enough that he could release her, at least until she was done. He allowed her to step away from him and guide him under the stream of hot water, feeling as she moved his long hair around to ensure all of it was wet. She moved him again and then her hands were in his hair, her claws scratching at his scalp as she massaged the shampoo through the long silver mass. She couldn't help but smirk as she heard him moan softly. It only grew wider when he mumbled, "Harder," moaning a bit louder when she complied.

It was absolutely exquisite, the slight scratching of her claws. It was even better than before she sprouted them, and when she pressed harder he was certain that he'd somehow slipped his way into heaven. It was over all too soon when she had him turn and stand under the water while she moved her hands through the long strands to make sure she didn't miss any remaining shampoo. He stopped her when she reached for the conditioner. As much as he wanted her hands in his hair again, he wanted to touch her more. His arms drew her to him, her breasts pressed tightly against his chest. One clawed hand trailed down her spine while the other tangled in her hair, guiding her lips to his. He pulled away and smirked at her when he realized that she was trying to make him cut his tongue again. "Your interest in my blood is so very enticing," Sesshoumaru murmured in her ear before moving one hand to his chest and cutting a small line just above where their bodies touched.

Kagome's eyes locked on the small cut line and the bright crimson trails moving down his chest. He watched her as she leaned in and dragged her tongue up his chest, quite similar to when she'd licked the pizza sauce off of him; only watching her taste his blood was so much more arousing. He allowed his hand to slide down her side until it found her ass, giving a firm squeeze to her soft flesh, his other caressing the side of her breast that was still pressed between them. She backed up a bit and he let her, taking advantage of the space to fully grasp her breast in his hand, massaging it gently. His eyes nearly popped out of his head when her hands moved, one wrapping around his very aroused length and starting a slow stroking motion while the other came up to cut a new line in his chest, the other having already healed over. He hadn't thought it could get any better, but the slight pain when she used her claws to produce more of his blood, combined with her intimate touch, well, it was definitely better.

Sesshoumaru let out a pleased growl as her hand tightened and she cut him again. The sound caught her attention, and for a moment Kagome thought she'd hurt him or somehow made him angry. However, the look in his eyes told different story. "You like that?" she asked, more surprised than anything.

"Very much so," he almost whispered as his head fell back in pleasure.

"It doesn't hurt?"

"Very little," he replied in a very distracted tone as her hand resumed her stroking.

"How can you like it if it hurts?" she asked before making a new cut. "You heal too fast," she grumbled softly before licking the red trails from his pale skin.

"If you cut a bit deeper it will take longer to heal."

Kagome froze and looked up at him like he was insane. "Deeper? But wouldn't that hurt more?"

He took in her expression and wondered for a moment if he shouldn't tell her. He couldn't take it if she turned away from him in disgust or rejection, but he had to say something.

Kagome watched his eyes, everything else melting away as she saw the fear flicker in his golden orbs. "Sesshoumaru?" she asked softly, her voice startling him from his thoughts. He looked similar to a deer caught in headlights, frozen in place with nothing to say. He hadn't figured anything out before she spoke and he had no idea what to do or say. "Sesshoumaru? Whatever it is, you can tell me. Nothing will change how I feel about you. I'm naked in the shower with you for Kami's sake!" Seeing that he still remained hesitant and having a sneaking suspicion what he didn't want to say, she reached up and dragged her claws from his shoulder to just above his nipple, letting her newly developed deadly weapons dig in deeper than previously while tightening her other hand around his arousal, remembering how he'd liked it before.

She had her answer when her demon lord moaned and shuddered at the same time, his golden eyes rolling back in his head and a look of absolute pleasure overtaking his features. "Hmm," she mumbled to herself before giving in to temptation and setting out to clean him of every drop of blood. "You really do like it," she said between the long strokes of her tongue along her cuts.

If he hadn't been floating in a haze of near ecstasy he would have been concerned by her words, but as it was he'd barely even heard them. Her hand was holding him tightly as she stroked steadily up and down his length, and the feelings it was producing were extraordinary. Added to it was the sensation of her hot tongue trailing up his chest, knowing she was tasting his blood, craving it even, and he wasn't sure how much longer he would last. Her voice pulled him from his clouded mind.

"So tell me, Sesshoumaru. How long have you known that you like pain?"

The way she asked seemed so innocent that he forgot to worry about her response to the truth and simply answered. "Not all pain. Just from you."

"Really?" was her breathy reply as one of his hands found its way to her short raven curls and was now teasingly just barely touching her where an incredible need had begun to make itself known.

He smirked as she gasped when he finally slipped his fingers past her folds into the liquid heat she'd produced just for him. "Really. This Sesshoumaru enjoys the feeling of your nails, or claws, against my scalp. I love it when you pull my hair. And this…" he gestured with his unoccupied hand to the nearly healed wounds, "…is just amazing."

"Never would have… figured you to… be so kinky…" she managed between her panting breaths. One finger had found its way into her tight passage and was moving slowly in and out of her while his thumb lightly brushed over her clit, making speaking… and even thinking… so much more difficult.

"Kinky?" he asked curiously, having absolutely no idea what the strange word meant.

"Not now," she demanded. "More…"

He happily complied, adding a second and soon a third finger, and neither spoke another word, instead only soft gasps and moans as well as a purring growl were the only sounds in the small, steam filled shower stall that could be heard over the running water. They moved in unison, his fingers sliding into her body while her hand stroked upwards and pulling back out as she moved away and towards the head, allowing her thumb to slide over the tip, loving how it seemed to make his entire body twitch every time. His unoccupied hand decided to occupy itself, traveling up her abdomen to her breasts, softly tweaking her hard peaks. He leaned down to kiss her, slicing his tongue purposely over his own fang before slipping his tongue into her mouth to tangle with her own.

She moaned a bit louder as the taste hit her tongue and he felt her body start to quiver. He knew she was close and he was too. Feeling her passage begin to tighten around his fingers he rubbed harder on her clit just as her thumb moved over the head again, this time circling twice. That simple sensation was all it took for his body to shake against hers as each reached their climax at the same moment. Her grip tightened further as she continued to pump him, the rhythm more jerky and she felt like she was experiencing an earthquake as her entire form seemed to tense and release repeatedly at an impossible speed. His hand continued to move, roughly massaging her clit while thrusting his fingers in and out of her body where he so wished to be buried at the moment, or any moment for that matter. Their movements slowed together and they both slowly returned to earth, pulling their lips apart and panting heavily while staring into each other's eyes.

"So I take it then that you want the claws to stick around?" she asked with a laugh before moving her hand away, groaning as his fingers slid out of her still twitching body. He watched her rinse off under the water, again conflicted as she touched herself, removing the scent of their activities and wasting what he would much rather be cleaning from her with his tongue, but looking so delicious with her hand just there, all the while licking his fingers of her ambrosia of passion, savoring every bit. When he was sure he hadn't missed any his arms slid around her waist.

"So are you ready to tell me what 'kinky' means yet?"

She laughed and blushed at the same time as she turned off the water and stepped out. "Kinky… it means that you like something… sexual… that is… uncommon maybe? I'm not sure how to explain it."

"You do not seem to mind," he replied, watching her wrap a towel around her shimmering, dripping form and accepting the one she held out to him.

"Well, it's a little weird I guess, but how can I complain that you like it when I cut you, when I was enjoying cutting you? Or at least the result of cutting you. I don't really know why I was surprised. You're so invulnerable to so much that it takes more for you to really **feel**. Besides, I already told you that I love you… nothing can change that, my Sakimitama." She smiled as he leaned down to softly kiss her, showing his appreciation for her acceptance.

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The phones just wouldn't stop ringing and both Officer Nori and Officer Tantei wished they could just unplug them. Somehow… **someone**… leaked the blood results to the media, and now every journalist, news show, newspaper, and magazine was calling for confirmation that the blood on the knife had indeed been that of a canine. Whoever it was that leaked it, well, if they were ever discovered they would be in some serious trouble. The case really didn't need more media coverage and now that the boy had been committed, they'd figured out his name.

Soon the Higurashi Shrine would be buried under reporters if anyone were to figure out just why he claimed to have done what he did. They were doing their best to keep that from happening. She'd had enough trouble when he was simply stalking her. She didn't need every microphone in the world shoved in her face all at once, hoping to get some comment from her. From what his daughter had told him when she'd called during lunch, Officer Tantei knew she was a sickly thing, having missed more school during the last two years than she'd actually attended. He was worried that the media attention could aggravate her illnesses, so he and his partner were trying to keep her out of it completely. They'd removed her name from their reports since it was clear that she was not the victim, so she could not be connected to the case unless someone leaked her name as well, which thankfully hadn't happened yet.

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They'd been sitting in the living room for ten minutes already, each straining their ears, hoping to catch some hint of what Kagome and Sesshoumaru were doing up there but failing. They were whispering their guesses; none even the slightest bit innocent or pure, making sure Kagome's mother didn't hear them. Of course they really hadn't needed to worry about it. Hiromi already had her own suspicions as to what her daughter and the demon lord were up to.

Finally they heard footsteps coming down the stairs and three pairs of eyes widened as they realized that they might just have been right since both Kagome and Sesshoumaru appeared to be fresh from the shower. When Kagome noticed their expressions she blushed but did her best to force away her discomfort. Why should she be embarrassed about what she did with her mate, or mate to be? But then it wasn't like he'd asked her **yet**. She was beginning to wonder what the holdup was. Really, she knew he wanted to ask. He knew she knew and he knew she wouldn't refuse him. So what was the problem??

Sensing her growing frustration, Sesshoumaru glanced at her and raised a perfect eyebrow in question. When she scowled at him and turned away he had to know. 'Kagome? What is the source of your frustration?'

She sighed aloud before turning to her friends, thoroughly ignoring his silent inquiry. "Sorry to keep you guys waiting. Had a bit of an incident after school and had to clean up." She was still mentally thanking whoever was listening that the fangs and claws had disappeared between the time she got out of the shower and when she began to dress. She hadn't even noticed their absence until he pointed it out to her. It was curious, how they'd shown up out of nowhere and stayed so long before disappearing just as randomly.

"Yeah, we heard about your '**bit'** of an incident. Didn't sound so tiny to us!" Yuka hissed, not wanting to alert her mother if she was unaware of what had happened with Momoko after school.

"Come on," Kagome said cheerfully. "Let's go up to my room and start studying." They all frowned at her for completely skipping over any kind of explanation that they thought was very necessary, but rose and followed her nonetheless. Sesshoumaru's eyes followed her before he decided to join them, at least for a bit. When he entered the room he was greeted with the sight of mokomoko, in its full size, draped over her shoulders as she shifted the pile of books on her desk around and pulled two out, talking all the while.

"It was her fault. She knew he was mine. She should have kept her hands to herself. I just know she did it on purpose. She was trying to make me think he was cheating or something, like he would ever go for a skank like her."

"Skank?" he asked curiously, quirking a brow as she nearly jumped out of her skin at his voice.

"Yeah, skank is the right word," Eri answered.

"Definitely a skank," Yuka agreed.

Seeing his confusion Kagome added, "But there are so many other words for her too. Slut… whore…"

"Tramp!" Ayumi cried out excitedly before blushing when everyone looked at her in surprise. "What? She's a tramp!"

"Well, yeah, but did you have to be so… chipper about it?" Yuka asked with a frown. "You sounded like you were calling out Bingo for a million dollar prize!"

"I didn't mean too. It just came out like that," Ayumi said in a rather pouty voice.

"It's alright. Tramp is an excellent word choice," Kagome said soothingly, causing Ayumi to perk up immediately. "So… Math or Health?" she asked, holding up each textbook.

"Math is going to take longer I think, so let's start with health so we don't end up running out of time," Eri suggested, receiving a round of nods of agreement. "Alright then. This quarter we focused mostly on the reproductive system and… sex ed," her voice dropping to a whisper at the end. No one saw the curiosity on Sesshoumaru's face before he sat on the bed, moving back to lean against the wall, dragging Kagome to sit between his legs and lean against his chest when she sat too. He was intrigued. _'They teach about sexual relations in their 'schools'? And to the females as well?' _It made him wonder just what his Kagome really knew. She'd seemed so innocent and shy, but maybe she knew more than she let on.

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It had been driving him crazy all day. When he'd woken that morning he had an annoying feeling that he was forgetting something important. No matter how hard he tried though, nothing would come to him. The nagging sensation pulling at his mind was really getting irritating. When he'd reached the top of the shrine steps, Souta decided to sit under the God Tree for a while. It always seemed to clear his mind and help him relax, so maybe it would help him remember.

Sitting at the base of the giant tree and leaning back, Souta closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind, hoping it would allow whatever it was to come to the forefront of his memory. For a minute he thought it wasn't working, but then strange images began flickering in and out of sight in his mind's eye. He saw a beautiful clear blue sky and there were tall trees everywhere. He'd never seen so many trees in one place before and he was certain the sky had never been such a perfect blue, both of which made him assume that he was seeing the Feudal Era, though he couldn't be sure since he'd never been there, or then.

He saw Sesshoumaru, and behind him were seven young boys that looked just like him and then he knew he had to be seeing the Feudal Era, because he knew they had to be Sesshoumaru's pups. He noticed Shippo, who he recognized from Kagome's photos, standing near Sango and Miroku. He saw Rin and the little green thing she'd told him about that morning before breakfast, who he now knew as Jaken. He saw Kirara, Kazue, and a two headed dragon that Rin had also told him about, called Ah Un. And then Inuyasha was there, standing beside his brother. It felt like he was slowly spinning in place as he saw everyone standing around in an almost perfect semicircle, and finally he saw Kagome standing in front of several demons he didn't recognize. They seemed to shimmer, making it impossible for him to see exactly what they looked like.

He watched as she accepted a small bag and knelt on the ground to pour the contents out in front of her. He didn't know why, but he knew she shouldn't touch them - couldn't touch them - or something bad would happen. However, no matter how hard he tried to remember more, he couldn't. He couldn't even see what it was that she'd dumped out of the bag, only knew that she couldn't touch whatever it was. He knew he had to try to warn her somehow, before she left for the Feudal Era once again, but he couldn't just say 'if someone gives you something in a bag, don't touch whatever's inside'. It was just too vague, and wouldn't do her any good. He couldn't even tell her who would be giving it to her because he couldn't describe them!

Finally Souta gave up, and when he opened his eyes he was surprised to discover that tears were streaming down his face. He hadn't even noticed that he'd started to cry. He knew then that he needed to see more, needed to remember more, because if it was enough to make him cry then it was something she had to know about and that she had to watch out for. He couldn't be there to protect her when it did happen, and he was sure it would the well wouldn't let him through, so he needed to be able to warn her. He was terrified that he would lose her, that she would go through the well and never return.

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Hojo slowly began to remember things and as soon as he did he'd begun telling anyone that would listen that everyone was in danger from whatever Kagome's 'boyfriend' was and what he'd turned her into. They were monsters, demons, and they were going to take everyone over or kill them all. Either way, he was sure that the residents of Japan were in deep shit. When he realized that no one was listening to him, Hojo had begun to struggle and thrash against the straps that held his wrists to his sides. That seemed to attract the attention of those around him, and soon he was being held down while a nurse injected him with a sedative. "There you go, dear. That should help you stay calm," she said in a soft, kind voice as she pushed his bangs out of his eyes. He stared up at her face as everything started to grow hazy, and then he was once more blissfully unconscious.

"Tell the doctor that this one won't be in to see him as planned because we had to drug him again."

"Yes, Ma'am," one of the orderlies said, giving a small bow before disappearing to do as he was told.

"It's too bad. He looks like such a sweet boy. Hopefully the doctor can help him," she said, mostly to herself. She always hated it when they were young. His life hadn't even begun yet and now he was locked up in here, and apparently locked inside a fantasy world in his own mind as well. But she still held out hope. She'd seen others like him recover to live a normal life. Hopefully he could too.

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Momoko was livid, and it didn't help matters much when she'd invited Kyo over, expecting him to agree with her that Kagome had no right to do what she'd done. Too bad he'd found the whole cat fight quite entertaining. He'd merely laughed at her rage before moving on to what he'd thought she had invited him over for.

"How dare you? How can you laugh at me and then expect me to spread my legs and let you fuck me?!"

"But baby," he started, his voice husky and full of wanting. "It was kinda funny, that's all. I wasn't laughing **at** you."

"The hell you weren't! You should be upset too! If she won't fall for it, if she won't think he's cheating on her with me, then she's not gonna ditch him for you! You won't get your hands on your precious Higurashi either! What the fuck is so special about her, huh? Why does everyone think she's so fucking great? I'm prettier than she is!" When he snorted in laughter at her, her eyes narrowed and her entire countenance darkened as her anger grew. "Get out! Get the fuck out!" she screamed, her face turning bright red.

"Fine, be a bitch. See if I care," was all Kyo said before walking out the front door and slamming it behind him. "Stupid bitch thinks she's more attractive than Kagome. No way in hell," he muttered to himself, shoving his hands in his pockets and beginning his walk home. "What a fucking waste of time…"

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He was finding her 'health' textbook very interesting. He'd never see such diagrams, and as the girls spoke he found he was learning a great deal more than he'd ever known about humans, human women in particular. He was enthralled, soaking in everything he could. His mate was a human and he needed to know everything he could about her body, not just to ensure he pleased her every chance he got but also so he could keep her healthy. He refused to lose the love of his life to some petty human illness. She **would** be by his side until the end of time. He was determined to make it so.

The knowledge that was contained in her book was extraordinary. The things they knew about the internal processes of the body, he was amazed at the advancement of medical knowledge as well as the social advancement as well. Human men of his era, and even a majority of demons, gave no thought to giving their female pleasure. Women were possessions meant to cook, clean, bare and raise children, and service their male, giving him the pleasure he desired when he desired it, whether she wanted to or not. But in this era women were treated as equals. They were taught that they deserved pleasure just as much as any man. They were taught that masturbation was a normal, healthy thing, something unheard of in his time. They were taught that if they didn't want to have sex, they didn't have to and that no one had the right to force them, husband or not. He was definitely impressed.

He'd studied each diagram carefully, learning exactly how a pup was created. The images of unborn pups still inside their mother's womb amazed him. They could know the sex of a child before it was born. They could count tiny fingers and toes and literally see their child's face, all while it was still safely inside. He learned how breasts changed from being incredibly enticing and fun to play with to being able to sustain a life, allowing the pup to grow. Sure, he knew about breast feeding, but the details of how it worked had been shrouded in the unknown. The more he read, looked at, and heard, the more he wanted to make her his mate and see her heavy with his pups.

He knew there was still a long path before them until such a thing as having pups could happen, but the thought of her having **his** pups; it was something he would be eagerly awaiting. He would fight twice as hard to rid the world of Naraku, not only for the safety of the pups, kit, and child he already had, but to ensure the lives of the pups they would have together. And until it could finally occur, they could always enjoy practicing. He smirked at the thought and almost moaned as she shifted against him, trying to find a comfortable position, which had been growing more and more difficult as his arousal grew, stuck between their bodies and pressed against her back. She definitely knew. She couldn't miss it!

Sesshoumaru had to place his hands on her hips to still her movement before he decided he didn't care that her friends were still there. He heard her soft laugh and knew she'd been doing it on purpose. 'Do you find this Sesshoumaru's discomfort entertaining?'

He could hear her laugh in his mind. 'Actually, yes. How can you be all turned on looking at diagrams?'

'It was not the images that aroused this Sesshoumaru.'

'Then what was it?' she asked, curious. When he didn't reply she asked again. 'What's got you all hot and bothered then?' she asked with a giggle.

'This Sesshoumaru would be more than happy to tell you, but you will have to wait until we can be alone.'

She growled softly, her friends still chattering and missing the sound completely. 'Spoil sport.'

It was his turn to laugh. He knew she would be dying to know until he finally caved and told her, and he intended to make the wait as long as possible. When they'd moved on from the reproductive system to other things he only half listened, taking in what he deemed important while still fantasizing about a very pregnant Kagome. He'd wandered into his mind so far that he missed it completely when they'd switched to Math, just sitting there in total comfort; his mate-to-be leaned against him and his arms loosely hanging around her waist. He was only drawn back to the real world when Kagome tried to slip out of his hold. Focusing again, he noticed that her friends were all standing, ready to leave. Somehow he'd been oblivious to what was happening around him so much so that they'd made it through the rest of their studies and it was almost time for dinner. He could smell the food from where he sat, and mentally berated himself for failing to be aware of his surroundings. Something like that could get her killed in his time, but she was just so damn distracting!

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The afternoon for the little miko was spent in Kaede's hut with Sango, Kirara, and Kazue. The elder miko was teaching her more uses for her holy powers as Sango sat propped against the wall, just enjoying the peacefulness of the day. Things weren't quite so peaceful for the remainder of their group. Jaken had taken Ah Un to the castle to gather messages and check on things to ensure the servants were working diligently, even with the absence of their Lord. Everyone else was entertaining themselves tormenting the unsuspecting wolf. Akihiro had taken up Rin's task of hiding their presence, helped out by a bit of Sango's slayer knowledge.

Kouga had once again found himself somehow surrounded by invisible walls. When they'd finally had their fill of watching a frustrated wolf demon fall on his ass over and over again they allowed him to leave the clearing, everyone crossing their fingers that he would hit the trip line he was moving towards.

Kouga didn't know what the hell was going on but he was one very unhappy demon. _'I know I'm not crazy! I'm not imagining things. Somehow I keep running into something. I just can't see it. That doesn't mean I'm crazy, does it?'_ He finally made it to the edge of the clearing, all the obstacles in his path suddenly gone, and he decided to hunt around a bit to see if he could figure out just where his pack had gotten to. He failed to realize that the walls had been forcing him in one direction, herding the wolf like a sheep to his fate. He didn't even feel it as his leg caught the thin thread, so he wasn't expecting it at all when a waterfall of tree sap poured from somewhere above him, covering him from head to toe. He just stood there for a moment, frozen in place while inside he screamed in anger and frustration.

In the bushes, hidden from even demon senses, everyone was shaking trying to hold in their laughter at the look on his face. He made quite a picture too, covered in thick, sticky goo head to toe. Miroku was snapping photo after photo, determined not to miss what was coming next. They'd worked really hard rigging this one up, but it was already worth it and the grand finale would be the icing on the cake… or the feathers on the wolf as the case may be.

Kouga finally regained the ability to move, slowly lifting one arm to stare at the thin strands of sap dripping from his limb to the ground, looking like icicles, only gooier. He sighed and took one slow step forward; flinching as he saw that it was already too late. There was no way he could move in time. And that was how the wolf prince became disguised as a goose, covered with goose down feathers that stuck to every exposed inch of his body, holding tight to the sap. Inuyasha had to close his eyes to the sight. It had to be the funniest thing he had ever seen. Hiromi's donation of some old pillows was absolute prank gold and the hanyou found him self hoping that Miroku was getting enough shots because if he opened his eyes again he would burst out laughing and give them away.

They began to back away slowly, no one able to breathe without risking announcing their presence, and once they were far enough away they broke into a run, moving as fast as possible until they collapsed into heaps of shaking, laughing, giggling, squealing, gasping demons, hanyou, and human. They'd almost regained their control when they heard it. It echoed through the entirety of Inuyasha's forest and none of them would have been surprised to know just how far the sound reached. Their near-hysterical laughter resumed, leaving them all fighting to breathe.

Kouga, now looking like a giant, fluffy white bird, tried to calm himself by breathing slowly, but with every inhale the feathers tickled his nose and he felt his anger at his situation and his misfortune grow out of proportion, causing the wolf to let out a howl of frustration. The words were nearly indistinguishable, lost in the sheer volume of the sound and the resounding echo. As it came back to him, Kouga heard his own words. "Fuck! What the FUCK is going on around here?!"

Miles away, a group of stuffed and intoxicated wolf demons froze. "Was that…" Hakaku trailed off, afraid to even speak the words.

Ginta sucked in a breath before answering. "I… I think it was."

"He sounds pissed."

"That's the understatement of the season! What do we do? We can't go to him like this!"

"Alright, we just need to relax. We'll figure something out. We'll wait until we're sobered up and then we'll go find him. We were only following orders so he can't be angry with us for doing as he ordered."

"Yeah, well he'll find a way to make it our fault…" Ginta grumbled.

"Kami, I wish you weren't right."

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They'd finished just in time. When they reached the bottom of the steps Hiromi was just coming out of the kitchen to call them to dinner. Kagome said her good-byes and then everyone sat down to eat. Dinner was oddly silent and eventually Kagome realized it was because Souta wasn't babbling on and on about his new favorite video game or telling them something that happened at school. Instead he looked sort of funny, like his brain was several thousand miles away from his skull and wasn't planning on coming back anytime soon.

"Souta? Are you alright?" she asked softly, her voice still startling him even in the gentle tone.

He looked up and met eyes with her before quickly looking away. "I'm… I'm fine sis. Just tired is all."

"Are you sure? You look like something's on your mind."

Hiromi saw that her father was about to open his mouth, most likely to put his foot in it, and rushed to cut him off. She had some idea as to what was bothering her son and he didn't seem ready to talk about it. "So Kagome, how do you think you did on your exams today?"

Kagome frowned at her mother's rapid subject changed but decided she could find out what was wrong with her little brother later. "Alright, I guess. They weren't too hard, so I figure I did okay."

"That's wonderful dear," Hiromi said with a wide smile.

The rest of dinner was filled with meaningless conversation, Hiromi successfully steering the discussion to Kagome's last few days of studying and exams. Souta was thankful for his mother's intervention but at the same time was curious as to why she did it. Did she know something?

Finally, after Kagome helped with the dishes, the miko and taiyoukai were once again alone in her room. "So, you ready to tell me what got you so excited now?"

He smirked at her, tilting his head as if evaluating something. "This Sesshoumaru would like to see one of the things you purchased and refused to allow me to see."

She grinned at him, her eyes flashing with amusement. "Do you now? Well, I don't know. Why should I put one of them on for you if you won't tell me about earlier?"

"Because this Sesshoumaru desires to demonstrate rather than discuss." He watched her cheeks flush red and knew he won. Kagome walked over to the closet and rifled around, using her body to block his sight as she tried to choose which one she would wear tonight. Finally making her selection she balled it up and shoved it under her shirt before she turned around, unknowingly giving Sesshoumaru another image to ponder. She disappeared into the bathroom and for a moment he just sat there, still thinking over how she'd looked a moment ago, the bundle under her shirt giving her stomach a rounded appearance that he'd been imagining for hours. When he finally managed to shake himself from his thoughts he stood and made sure the door was locked before erecting a soundproof barrier. With his intentions he knew they would need it. He then set out to prepare the room for her return.

Kagome was standing in the bathroom, just staring at herself in the mirror. She couldn't decide if she liked how she looked in it or not, but figured he wouldn't care either way. She was only putting it on for him to take it off really. She sucked in a breath to gather up the courage and opened the door, stepping through into her room, though it wasn't quite how she'd remembered it. The overhead light was turned off, just the small lamp on her desk on, giving the room a soft glow. The blankets were carefully turned down and the pillows arranged at the head of the bed. If she hadn't know his intentions earlier she did now, as he was lounging on her bed on his side in nothing but his boxers, resting on his elbow with his head in his palm, just gazing at her. She could feel the barrier, and she raised a brow at him before slowly walking closer.

When she stepped into the soft light his breath caught in his throat. She was absolutely beautiful. She had on white little thing that tied around her neck and cupped her full breasts perfectly. It was just long enough to cover the essentials, though when she moved he could see the matching white panties underneath. It was trimmed in little jewels that glimmered in the low light, and the embellishment just added to the image. The color was amazing with her dark hair, making her look pure and innocent while at the same time teasingly seductive. He watched as she turned around slowly, allowing him to see that her entire back was exposed.

He swallowed the lump in his throat before nearly whispering to her, "Come here."

She obeyed but seemed almost hesitant and he could feel her nervousness. "Well? Do you like it?" she asked, her tone sounding like she expected him to say no.

"You look absolutely amazing," he said, his voice still not coming out quite right. When she finally came within reach he dropped his legs over the side of the bed and sat up, pulling her to stand between his knees. His head moved to rest gently on her chest and her hands came up to play with his hair.

"Are you alright?" Kagome asked him, worried because he didn't seem to be acting normally.

"Your studies this afternoon brought something to mind that refuses to leave."

"Oh? And what did my sex ed stuff make you think about?"

He looked up into her eyes and his arms wrapped loosely around her hips. "How beautiful you will be carrying my pups." He watched as a smile spread across her lips and he relaxed. At least I didn't seem like she was opposed to the idea or anything.

"You do realize that now isn't the time for that, right?" she said softly.

"Yes, though I cannot help but hope that we can defeat Naraku quickly so that I can see it outside of my mind. So you are not against having pups with this Sesshoumaru?" his voice was so insecure again, like he was begging for validation.

"No. Why would I be?" She laughed lightly as he lifted her to straddle his legs and his hands slid down to caress her bare and oh so soft thighs. He buried his face between her breasts and breathed her in deeply before moving to roll her onto her back on the bed. He began to trail kisses along the edges of the silky white fabric that covered her, slowly, almost lazily. Moving lower he kissed the insides of her thighs, so close to her barely hidden core that she could feel his breath brushing across the front of the small white thong. He continued lower, lifting one leg in his hand and showering nearly every inch with attention. He smirked when she groaned in frustration and continued his trek, kissing her dainty little feet one by one before returning the way he came up the other leg. Again she could feel his breath but he didn't touch her, at least not where she wanted him to. He used his nose to bare her stomach to him, moving the gauzy fabric out of his way.

His hands and lips caressed her abdomen as he worshipped her perfect body, the body that would be his forever, the body that would grow and protect his young. "You will be so beautiful heavy with my pups." He kissed her flat but still soft stomach with adoration. Moving upwards again his hands just barely brushed over her covered breasts. "You were built to be a mother. Every part of you is perfect."

Kagome smiled down at him, knowing that this time things would be different. He was still passionate, but he was taking his time. It felt like he was loving each and every bit of her inch by inch and the absolute adoration in his eyes and in his every word made her heart swell in her chest. She most definitely had chosen well, even if the fates did most of the choosing for her. She approved of their selection. "Sesshoumaru?" she whispered softly. When he met her eyes again she gently cupped his cheek, smiling as he leaned into the caress. "I love you."

He kissed her palm before moving his way up her arm to her lips. "And I love you," he murmured before pressing his lips to hers in a slow, deep kiss full of all the love he held for her. When her hands slid down his chest towards his arousal he caught her wrist, causing her to look up at him in surprise. "Not tonight. Tonight I am going to worship every inch of the goddess the Kamis have given me." He kissed her again and felt her melt, her arm going limp in his hold. He smiled softly at her acceptance before moving to lie beside her. "Roll over for me," he whispered and then watched as she did so, curiosity filling her gaze. When he straddled her legs she tried to turn around to see him but then his hands began to move over her bare back, the tips of his deadly claws tracing small patterns on her skin causing goose bumps and she allowed her body to relax under his. Soon the light touches turned into a gentle massage and she was moaning into her pillow in pure pleasure. She had certainly never expected him to… to be so… docile maybe? He was a Lord. People waited on him, he had servants, but here he was, giving her a massage like he was the servant.

She moaned again as his hands were replaced by his lips, covering her back with hot kisses. She could feel as he untied the knot at the back of her neck and moved the fabric away from her throat and shoulders, dropping his head down to nip carefully at her pale flesh. When he felt that her back had been fully worshipped and adored he helped her roll over once more and slowly peeled down the material that had until then been hiding her breasts from his attentions. Her eyes rolled back in her head as he teased a nipple with just the tip of his tongue before pulling it into his mouth and suckling for a moment before switching to the other.

She lifted her hips for him as he fully removed the nightie, followed by the matching panties, leaving her bare before him. His touches and caresses were soft and teasing and finally she couldn't take it anymore. Wrapping her fists in his hair she pulled him roughly to look into her eyes. "Stop teasing me," she growled, throwing her head back when his hand instantly found her slippery folds, his fingers sliding past to rub at her clit. He'd been playing for much too long and Kagome felt like she was already about to explode. She growled in warning when his hand pulled away, but when it was replaced with his mouth she decided that the switch was alright with her.

She was so close, but it seemed like he was avoiding the perfect spot on purpose. Her hands moved on their own as she pressed his head closer in an attempt to get the desired - the needed - contact. He responded by purring against her and her body shattered into a million pieces. He kept up his purring and his movements, keeping her from coming down for as long as possible and soon she was pulling his hair in an attempt to get him to stop, or at least slow down, for just a moment. He eventually complied and she floated back to earth, all the broken bits reassembling themselves one by one. When she could finally focus she looked down at him and found him looking back up at her, his eyes a bright crimson. He held her stare as his tongue slipped out to slowly tease her folds and she shuddered, knowing that he was far from finished with her.

He and his beast shared her that night, taking turns tasting, touching, and worshipping her until she could take no more, before they wrapped her firmly in their arms and held her exhausted but completely satiated body close until the sunlight started to peek through the curtains.


	79. Escape

**Chapter 79 – Escape**

He let out a snarl of frustration as he plucked feather after feather out of the sap that covered his hair, chest, shoulders, and arms… even his tail! The sap was going to be hell to get off, and the feathers weren't a walk in the park either. To the right of where he sat was an ever-growing pile of the annoyingly fluffy white things. Once he decided that he'd removed as many as he was going to get, Kouga followed his ears, since his nose could smell nothing but tree sap, to the nearby bubbling hot spring. He pulled off his chest plate and firs and laid them to the side. Once he got some of this sticky crap out of his hair then he would try to get them clean as well. He slid into the steaming hot water and leaned back to that his hair could soak. If it didn't come out of his hair, if he had to cut it, someone was going to pay big time.

There was no way this was a coincidence or an accident. Someone set it up, like a trap, and he'd walked right into it. What he couldn't figure out was the who and why. He was certain that the hanyou wasn't bright enough to pull something like that off, and if Inuyasha had come anywhere near his camp he would have known about it. He could smell his dog breath a mile away. Plus there was the invisible wall thing. There was absolutely no way Inuyasha or any of his companions would be able to do something like that, especially without him sensing them. It was driving him crazy! If it wasn't the half-breed then who hated him enough to go to such trouble? Who did he know that was even capable of such things? No answers were forthcoming, but he was bound and determined to find them somehow. He would figure out who was behind it all and then they would pay.

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He was rather pleased with himself. The witch had explained that the spelled shard would only work on one he desired. Sure, it wasn't the perfect outcome, having to wait and see who used it, but he'd sent his Saimyosho to keep watch and let him know if the shards were distributed amongst the panthers yet. Once they were he would have to make an appearance and make sure that Shinya didn't end up dying of the poison. It was a long and painful death, his favorite kind, so he had time to save her if he needed to. Sure, she would be in some pain for a while until he got there, but then she was going to be in a great deal of pain for the majority of her stay with him until he got tired of her and needed a new toy.

The witch had spoken for Kagura, claiming that the wind demoness was not at fault for the delay, that she'd been called to another who had need of her services, but he'd decided that he didn't care. He was still harboring a great deal of frustration over the whole thing. He hated it when things didn't go his way, and that was something that happened quite often. And so he'd decided to punish her anyway, just for the fun of it. Once she'd returned the witch to her mountain cave he'd had his other servants, mostly humans he'd enslaved to take care of the menial tasks of being a villain, chain her to the wall in his throne room.

For a while he'd just let her hang there glaring at him as he lounged comfortably in the large padded chair and gorged himself on whatever delicacy he'd procured from the latest villages he'd had raided. Really, it was so hard to find good help. His human servants just didn't last long enough, and the demon ones always fought him. Now the few hanyou that he'd managed to wrap his tentacles around, they were hardy enough to survive ill treatment but neither powerful enough nor motivated enough to escape him. They came in handy, at least with the cooking and some of the simpler errands. They weren't good for too much more, stupid creatures that they were.

When he grew bored with looking at her trying to kill him with dirty looks, he'd moved on to some of the more entertaining options. For a while he threw things at her. Childish maybe, but so wonderfully rewarding. He'd thrown grapes at her for a while, just to irritate her. He'd moved on to larger fruit because it would hurt when he hit his target. The tomatoes were his favorite. They were old and squishy and some were even growing things. Those splattered when they connected, almost like water balloons. If they'd had water balloons in the feudal era he would have no doubt used them. The tomatoes were better though because they smelled horrible. When Naraku finally grew bored with his target practice he just got up and walked away, off to bed for the night. He left her hanging there, bruised, slimy, smelly, and attracting flies. He could hear her screaming at him all the way in his chambers and it was like a lullaby as he drifted off to sleep.

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Sometime in the middle of the night, Inuyasha, Miroku, and the boys crept away from camp in complete silence. Yuudai was carrying the small packet of powder that Sango had prepared for them, while everyone else had one thing or another to carry to complete their next prank. This one had to be Inuyasha's absolute favorite. Akihiro shielded Yuudai as he approached the still semi-sticky and snoring wolf. Once he was within range he tossed the packet like he was told, watching as a rain of white powder settled all around Kouga. He then crept back to the others and they waited until they were sure it had taken effect.

Finally he just couldn't wait anymore and Inuyasha walked slowly towards one of the largest annoyances in his life. When he'd made it all the way to where Kouga lay without the wolf stirring a bit the hanyou nudged him with his foot several times, just for good measure, before motioning for the others to join him. They all knelt around their unconscious victim and set to work. This was going to be great. When they'd finished and made sure to gather all their supplies so nothing was left behind to point to them, Miroku snapped a plethora of pictures, getting the wolf from all angles. They were rather impressed with their work, though Shippo said it was because they'd been having so much fun coloring in the books Kagome'd brought them.

They returned to camp quietly, not wanting to wake Rin and Sango, though Kirara and Kazue knew they'd returned as they could see their eyes flashing as they caught the soft moonlight. Supplies stashed away, everyone returned to their respective bedding and drifted off to sleep, each eagerly awaiting the morning when their latest prank was discovered.

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Sesshoumaru chuckled when the sunlight hit Kagome closed eyes and she rolled over with a groan, burying her face in his chest. "Your mother has already started breakfast," he murmured in her ear. "You should get up."

"I don't wanna," was her muffled reply. She was just too comfortable. She didn't want to get up. She didn't want to move at all. He was so nice and warm and she felt safe and secure in his arms. Getting out of bed would ruin all of it.

He raised a brow at her and her rather childish tone before he grabbed the top of the sheet that covered them and ripped it off her, tossing it to the floor with a victorious smirk.

"That was just mean," she said before she rearranged herself so she was lying on his chest and straddling his hips. Not only did she get to share more of his warmth, but she was banking on the hope that he would enjoy the position enough to leave her be for a while longer.

"I would think that after all the time you've spent with my impatient little brother you would be used to waking early."

"I am. It's not that it's too early. You're too comfy."

He smiled at her honesty. It was nice to know she wished to stay in bed with him rather than get up and face the day. "While I appreciate that, you need to eat breakfast before you go to school for your exams. You do not want me to make you get up."

"Oh really? And just what do you think you're gonna do to…" her words were forgotten as she squealed and squirmed in a desperate attempt to escape. She had never expected Sesshoumaru to tickle her! "Okay! **Okay!** I give! I'll get up!" She let out a sigh of relief as his clawed fingertips ended their torment before sliding off of her demon/pillow and standing in the middle of her room. She stretched, arching her back and lifting her arms high over her head, not noticing the hungry look the silent taiyoukai was giving her. Kagome walked across the room, digging through her dresser for a bra and panties before reaching around the door and grabbing the uniform her mother had washed the evening prior and hung on her doorknob.

Sesshoumaru sat up against the head of the bed and simply watched her. He very much doubted that she even realized the show she was giving him, walking around completely naked, stretching and bending; if he wasn't a demon of legendary control she'd already be back in the bed, or maybe pinned to the floor under his also naked form.

Kagome glanced up at him and saw the small smile on his face. "Okay you! You don't just get to sit there and watch me get dressed! You need to get dressed too!" To make sure he got the point she walked to the end of the bed where his clothes were piled and started tossing things at him.

Finally, when they were both dressed and Sesshoumaru could hear Kagome's stomach rumbling, they headed downstairs for breakfast. Hiromi smiled at them both as she continued to prepare the morning meal, as well as lunches for Kagome and Souta, while she listened to the morning news. Both miko and taiyoukai were ignoring the sound as the anchorman droned on and on about something incredibly boring. Their attention was captured when the topic turned to the 'mall incident'.

"Several days have passed since a teenaged boy ran through the crowded food court of the mall with what appeared to be a bloody knife. The police have finally released the name of the perpetrator, Hiroshi Hojo, a junior at the local high school. Our source has told us that during the interrogation the boy was nearly hysterical and apparently suffering from hallucinations as well as an unhealthy obsession with a female classmate. He was immediately sent for a mental evaluation, having to be taken by force after assaulting an orderly from the hospital…"

"Did I tell you about that? One of the girls in my class yesterday was talking about Hojo. Her father is one of the detectives on the case. I feel kinda bad for him. I mean, he did really see a demon after all."

"The boy was ill before this Sesshoumaru ever met him."

"Yeah, I think so too, but he's in the nut ward right now," she laughed as Sesshoumaru quirked a brow, "I mean he's in the hospital in a special wing for the mentally ill. He's telling them about you and they think he's hallucinating. The whole thing made whatever was wrong with him before worse. But what I wanted to tell you… she said that Hojo bit one of the orderlies!"

"I always thought he was such a sweet boy, a bit dense but still sweet. I should have seen it," Hiromi said, feeling rather guilty that she'd put her daughter at risk so many times by telling Hojo where she was or encouraging his pursuit of Kagome by accepting the multitude of gifts.

"Of course you think that now, looking back. I didn't see it either Mama. I had no idea he was so obsessed with me! Kinda creepy…"

Their attention returned to the television once more as the reporter finished talking about the mall incident, Hojo's arrest, and his relocation to the psych ward. "We've been able to gain some insight into the mind of the obviously mentally ill teen thanks to the results of the tests done on the bloody knife."

Kagome's eyes got wide as she listened. They had her blood on the knife! Then they would know that at least some part of Hojo's story was true and would be asking a lot of questions about why she didn't come forward and report the assault. To top that off they'd definitely be interested in how she'd managed to heal so quickly.

"Apparently the technicians ran the test several times because of the odd results, but each test result was the same. The blood on the knife that had been assumed to have come from some unknown victim was not human, but rather canine. The results were narrowed further to that of an Akita. No owner has come forward to report any injury to their pet and a search of animal hospitals has also come up empty. It is unknown whether the dog was mortally wounded. If you have any information about the mystery dog, officers are asking that you call the tip line. The number is on the bottom of the screen."

"Dog… blood?" Kagome mumbled while staring at the screen wide-eyed. "I have… dog blood?" The shocked miko turned and looked up into golden eyes. "How could I have dog blood?"

"You share blood with this Sesshoumaru."

"Yeah, but you're not a dog! A dog demon, sure, but I should at least have some human, mostly human even! That's just weird."

"At present, the police have no further leads and with no complaining victim Hiroshi Hojo will likely be committed until he is found to no longer be a danger to himself or others. It is unlikely that he would be found capable to stand trial for the charges associated with the mall incident. His parents declined to comment and the detectives handling the case refuse to release the identity of the young woman that Hojo is said to be obsessed with, claiming that she has nothing to do with the case and thus did not need to be involved, especially during final exams. You heard it here first and we will keep you updated throughout…"

Hiromi clicked the television off and turned to look at her daughter, who looked like she was off in a world all her own as she tried to figure out the odd results, and Sesshoumaru who had a small smile on his face. "Kagome dear, don't worry about it. Driving yourself crazy trying to figure it out is only going to give you a headache and make you fail your exams. And you… I take it you are not bothered by the idea of the changes in my daughter?"

Kagome looked up at him and saw the smile. She smacked his arm while giving him a death glare. "You would. I thought you didn't care if I was human."

His eyes softened and smile drooped. "This Sesshoumaru will love you whether you are human, demon, or anywhere in-between. There is a benefit to your changes, Kagome. The more you transform the more likely it will be for your lifespan to extend to match my own."

Kagome smiled, knowing that he meant every word. "Okay, I guess," she said playfully. "Shit!" she yelled as she caught sight of the time. "No time for breakfast. Gotta go!" Sesshoumaru smirked and followed her outside, intent on walking beside her whether she was in a hurry or not.

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At first light, when everyone was feeling a little more… sober… the wolves gathered what remained of the sake, the meat having long ago been eaten, leaving many tummy aches behind as they'd overstuffed themselves so that it would not go to waste. They figured the wood wasn't something that needed to be transported, as they could gather some closer to their camp. When everyone was ready the small pack set out in the direction Kouga's yell had come from the night before. No one was looking forward to reaching him. He'd sounded absolutely furious and they had no idea why he'd never returned. Chances were good that whatever the reason it wasn't a positive one.

They walked for several hours, purposely taking their time, dragging their feet to postpone their reuniting with Kouga. There was little conversation which made it seem even longer. Finally they could see smoke from the huts in the little village near where they'd camped and they knew they were close. They were all expecting Kouga to show up in his funnel cloud of dust and dirt like always, but he didn't. Ginta looked over a Hakaku with a worried look in his eyes.

"He should know we're close. Why isn't he coming?"

"I don't know, but we should hurry and find him," Hakaku answered. Everyone nodded their agreement and they were moving once more, this time at a much less casual pace. When they entered the clearing where they'd camped a few days earlier, Kouga was laying on his side, his back to them, and if it wasn't for the gentle wagging of his tail they would have thought he was dead. He didn't move a muscle and didn't seem to notice their presence, which wasn't normal at all. No one could ever sneak up on Kouga.

Ginta and Hakaku knelt on either side of him, rolling the wolf to his back. All the worry they'd been filled with drained away when they saw him, and laughter took over. Kouga woke to the hysterical laughter of his previously 'missing' pack. He would have jumped up and demanded to know where they'd been except that he was still quite drowsy and he could already feel the growing headache behind his eyes. Eventually he couldn't take it anymore.

"Would you idiots shut the fuck up?" he screamed, and they all fell silent in an instant. "Now, where the hell have you been and what the fuck is so goddamned funny?"

Ginta was the first to catch his breath and gave Kouga a confused look. "Where were we? We were where you left us, where you told us to stay while you went to go get our 'guest of honor'. Except you never came back. We did what you ordered! We stayed right where we were supposed to." He'd started out with a straight face but the longer he talked the harder it was, and when he finished he dropped to his knees to continue laughing his ass off.

"I didn't take you guys anywhere! I didn't tell you to stay somewhere. Why would I do that? I told you we were waiting by the well for Kagome! And **what the hell is so funny???**"

Hakaku held his sides, his ribs aching from laughing so hard. "You… you've got a little something… on your face."

Kouga's hand came up and wiped at his cheek, feeling something rubbing off. When he looked at his hand his fingertips where white. "What the hell?" he said in confusion. "What is this shit?"

"It's… it's ladies face paint! Kouga, you… you're painted up like a geisha!"

"Tell me you're kidding," the wolf prince said in a low, dangerous tone.

"Umm… well, I… I can't," Ginta said, twitching back in anticipation of some kind of retaliation from his alpha. "How could… how did someone get close enough to do that to you… and you not notice? At the very least you should have woken up when they touched you. It's almost like you were…"

"Drugged," Kouga growled. "And this wasn't the first time."

In the bushes, Inuyasha, Miroku, and the boys listened as Kouga began to recount all the odd things that had happened since they'd somehow been separated. After a while they snuck back to their camp and talked, deciding that since Kouga was suspicious and no longer alone they would lie low for a while. They needed to work on their holy powers with Kaede anyway. Their lessons and training were more important than silly, incredibly fun but still silly, pranks.

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Naraku was enjoying Kagura's discomfort, but he was getting rather bored with his target practice. A bored Naraku never bode well for her and she knew something unpleasant was coming when he'd ordered the human servants to unchain her from the wall only to then have her hands shackled behind her back. Oh how she hated him and that hatred grew more and more each day, each moment even. She glared at her creator and her tormenter as she was forced to her knees before him as if she were worshipping him while cursing him silently.

"You know Kagura; it's been far too long since we've played." He looked down at her with a dark smirk on his face and his red eyes glowed like embers in poorly lit room. "I've so missed our special time together. Haven't you?" Kagura simply glared harder, wishing she could ignite him with the fire in her eyes. "Now, now, my dear. You haven't forgotten, have you?" He held out his hand, showing her the glowing red orb that he used to control her. She could never escape him without her heart. He closed his hand around it and she grimaced, fighting the need to scream in pain. She didn't want to give him that. It was what he wanted and she refused to be his plaything. She wouldn't give him what he wanted, she wouldn't cry out or scream or beg no matter what he did.

He frowned and squeezed tighter, hating her strong will. 'Oh well. That will just make this all the more enjoyable. I do rather like it when she fights me.' He smirked again and locked eyes with her before he dropped his pants to the floor, leaving her face to face with the evidence of the evil hanyou's arousal. "Open up, love," he ordered. When Kagura didn't move to obey but instead pinched her lips tightly closed he laughed his dark, something bad is going to happen and you're not going to like it laugh. Then he tightened his hand around her heart harder than before, so much so that she had to gasp for breath from the intensity of the pain. He caught three fingers in her open mouth and slowly eased up on the pressure on her heart until she could focus on him again.

"You will do what I want either way. It is up to you how much pain I am forced to inflict to get what I want." She glared at him but he knew he'd won when her mouth fell open lifelessly. It didn't matter though. She didn't need to do much. He rather preferred it when she tried to pull away, making choking and gagging noises as he slid his cock in and out of her throat forcefully. He looked down at her and smirked, one hand fisted in her hair, keeping her just where he wanted her while the other still held her heart as a warning to her. Her eyes were welling up with tears and she looked utterly defeated, the look of despair enough to make him thrust harder and faster, so close to his end.

Kagura looked up at him carefully and took in the sight of his head thrown back and eyes closed. The light sparked back to life in her eyes and she waited. It was almost time. She'd allowed her mind to float away to somewhere else for most of it, but now she had to focus. If she didn't want to die she had to time it just right. She could feel his disgusting dick begin to twitch and she waited. When he let out a moan of pleasure as he began to climax Kagura took her chance and sank her fangs into him as hard as she could, almost gagging at the taste of his blood in her mouth. It had happened just like she knew it would. His hand loosened in her hair and the other hung limp at his side, barely holding on to the one thing she really needed to be free of him.

When he felt her teeth sink in he nearly blacked out from the pain. He didn't even notice as she slipped out of his grasp or how she'd knocked her heart from his hand with her shoulder. He didn't see that her hands weren't chained behind her as tightly as he'd thought when she slid her wrists out of the shackles, picked up her hear, and ran. He didn't notice anything other than the fact that the bitch had just tried to bite his dick off!

Kagura was still spitting while she ran, but she felt wonderful. She had her heart in her hand and once she made it outside and took to the air she took the time to look at it. It was then she realized that she had absolutely no idea how to get the thing in her chest where it belonged! She decided that she needed to find a place to hide, to lay low for a while, because Naraku was sure to want her dead. He was lucky he had demon characteristics, even if he wasn't actually born a half demon. The damage she'd inflicted would be healed rather quickly, but the memory of the pain, and hopefully humiliation too, would stay with him for a long time to come.

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Author's Note:

I know a lot of you aren't going to be happy about it but 79 is going to be the last chapter I post for a couple weeks, maybe a month. I've been having trouble with the flow and need a break from it for a while. If I force it, then it's going to end up being crap and I refuse to post crap. I'm going to take some of the time to reread the whole thing, reacquaint myself with the older stuff.

I've been working on it nearly every day since mid September, so I definitely feel that I deserve a break. Not including this chapter, I have written 397,637 words in six months, nearly 700 pages. Yes it will be continued, yes, I will finish it. I just need some time off from it. Trust me, you'd much rather wait a while for the next update rather than read what I forced out. (why this chapter is so short to begin with. I just can't write it, no matter how much I want to.)

I'm going to continue working on Syndrome and the sequel to What Your Eyes Can Do because they are both flowing well. I might do a few more oneshots, and I've started doing the drabble challenges on the various LJ communities.

I think that focusing on something new for a while will really help when I go back to SWtPF. I know a lot of you will be disappointed with the wait, but it was either that or lousy chapters which I really don't wanna do. Hopefully you'll enjoy the new stuff.

There's another reason too, that I need a break. I'm rescheduling my entire life. Destiny is ready for a more structured day and real schooling, and since I'm home schooling I will be busier. It's gonna take me a while to get used to it, so I wanted to have less pressure on me to get things done during that time. Otherwise I'd be tearing my hair out and an unhappy miko makes for an unhappy just about everyone else. Even the characters suffer when I'm overstressed.

To those of you who are ready to complain, please don't. Try to remember that I'm not getting paid for this, that I write when I could and should be sleeping, and that I have lots of other things I could be doing with the hours a single chapter of this story takes. I don't **have** to write this. I don't **have** to post it. I do it because **I want to**, but if I get a lot of insulting or complaining reviews then maybe I won't want to anymore. Just a warning, because I know that some of my readers won't understand and will have some not nice things to say. I just don't wanna have to listen to (or read) it.

I shall return!

Oh! I almost forgot, 2 more things. First, Lazy Jenny (brainshake, I have no idea which to call you anymore!) drew another fanart for this story and 2 other readers have too! The links are below.

http://kirsui. links won't show for FF users, so check out the deviant art account of kirsui, lazyjenny, and lilangelchr to see the pics.

And I want to say that you to the reader who nominated The Syndrome for two categories for this Quarter at the Feudal Association. I'm thrilled and honored.

They have open membership, and anything that hasn't already won before can be nominated, something I think is really cool and makes that award group unique. Everyone should go and join the group and nominate all your favorite authors and artists. I still haven't made my picks but I'm working on it! If you want to join go FF users, the link is on my LJ.


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